Ermal Beqiraj, declared wanted by SPAK in connection with the “AKSHI” case, has been arrested in France. The confirmation came from Albanian police, while the case is being handled in parallel by the French authorities for pre-trial detention and extradition procedures.
Police confirm arrest in Amiens
According to the State Police, Beqiraj was arrested in the city of Amiens after cooperation between Interpol Tirana and Interpol Lyon. He had been declared internationally wanted at the request of the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime.
The official version says that the 44-year-old was under the security measure of “arrest in prison” ordered by the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime. The procedure in France will initially begin with his appearance before the Criminal Court of Amiens, where the international warrant against him is expected to be formally communicated.
The charges weighing on Beqiraj
According to the decision cited by police, Beqiraj is wanted for a series of criminal offenses, including “unlawful deprivation of liberty,” “unlawful competition through violence,” “violation of the equality of participants in public tenders or auctions,” as well as offenses related to a structured criminal group and laundering the proceeds of crime.
In the “AKSHI” file, his name has been linked to suspicions of benefiting from tenders through irregular procedures. SPAK’s investigation has also brought asset measures, including seizures of property and bank accounts.
Initial detention by French authorities
According to Albanian police, Beqiraj was initially detained by the French Air and Space Force and the case was then referred to the structures of the French Gendarmerie.
French media have reported that the detention occurred after he was flying a small civilian aircraft over the Penly nuclear power plant in Normandy at an altitude lower than the permitted limit. These reports have also raised other suspicions from French investigators, but at this stage they remain at the level of media reporting and not a consolidated judicial version.
What to expect from the extradition procedure
Currently, Beqiraj is being held in pre-trial detention. According to police, he is expected to appear before the court in Amiens, a necessary step to formalize the international warrant and continue with the procedures for extradition to Albania.
Reports in France also mention a fine of 7,000 euros for the violation related to the prohibited flight. On the main track, however, the issue remains the request by the Albanian authorities to bring him before justice in the case linked to tenders and the charges brought by SPAK.
The arrest in France of a person wanted in a case involving public tenders and organized crime brings attention back to the real pace of the investigation and the concrete results of Albanian institutions beyond official announcements.
For now, what has been confirmed is the arrest, pre-trial detention and the start of judicial proceedings in France, while the rest remains subject to justice and institutional verification.