Active - Franc convicted 25yr, Hajdar detained Dubai
Copja Organization
Albanian cocaine empire run from Dubai luxury towers
// intel brief
The Copja brothers - Hajdar and Franc - built an international cocaine trafficking empire from the luxury towers of Dubai. Operating far from Albanian law enforcement, they coordinated multi-ton cocaine shipments from Latin America into Europe while living in apartments worth 20 million euros. Their network unraveled after the 2020 murder of Ardit Spahiu in Brussels, ordered by Franc Copja in a blood feud with the rival Alibej family over a lost 50 kg cocaine shipment in Great Britain. Franc was extradited from Dubai in December 2023 and convicted to 25 years in Belgium. Hajdar remains detained in Dubai under Operation Surnames, one of an estimated 25 Albanian fugitives using the emirate as a criminal safe haven.
// weekly intelligence briefing
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// timeline
2018Copja brothers establish cocaine trafficking operations from Dubai, scaling from small Italian distribution to international network
201950 kg cocaine shipment lost in Great Britain - origin of the Copja-Alibej blood feud
2020Ardit Spahiu murdered in Molenbeek, Brussels on orders of Franc Copja - retaliation against the Alibej family
2023-12Franc Copja extradited from Dubai to Belgium to face murder charges
2024Hajdar Copja detained in Dubai under Operation Surnames at request of Albanian authorities
2026-01Franc Copja sentenced to 25 years in Belgium. Qosja and Mecja receive life sentences for Spahiu murder
// key locations
Dubai, UAE
Organization headquarters - Hajdar lived in 20M euro Palm apartment, criminal safe haven for 25+ Albanian fugitives
Elbasan, Albania
Hometown of Copja brothers - origin of the criminal network
Molenbeek, Brussels
Murder scene of Ardit Spahiu in 2020
Brussels, Belgium
Belgian court - trial and conviction of Franc Copja, Qosja, and Mecja
Casablanca, Morocco
Franc Copja investments (Baloti) - Moroccan criminal associates
London, UK
50 kg cocaine loss that triggered the Copja-Alibej blood feud
Bogota, Colombia
Cocaine source - Latin American supply chain for European distribution
Rome, Italy
Early operations - small-scale cocaine distribution before scaling internationally
Istanbul, Turkey
Money laundering destination - millions transferred by Copja accountant
La Paz, Bolivia
Money laundering destination - international fund transfers
// operation map
// key figures
Hajdar CopjaDetained
Organization Leader | AL
Leader of the Copja cocaine trafficking organization. Based in Dubai in a 20 million euro apartment in the Palm district. Detained in Dubai in 2024 under Operation Surnames at the request of Albanian authorities. Previously convicted of serious assault in the village of Katund i Ri. Coordinated international cocaine shipments from Latin America to Europe.
Franc CopjaConvicted
Co-leader / Murder Organizer | AL
Brother of Hajdar and co-leader of the organization. Ordered the murder of Ardit Spahiu in Brussels in 2020 over a 50 kg cocaine dispute with the Alibej family. Extradited from Dubai to Belgium in December 2023. Convicted in January 2026 to 25 years imprisonment. Had investments in Morocco and maintained Moroccan criminal connections.
Mikael QosjaConvicted
Hitman / Operative | AL
Convicted in January 2026 to life imprisonment for the murder of Ardit Spahiu in Molenbeek, Brussels. Operative of the Copja organization who carried out the assassination on orders from Franc Copja.
Flobenc MecjaConvicted
Hitman / Operative | AL
Convicted in January 2026 to life imprisonment alongside Mikael Qosja for the murder of Ardit Spahiu. Second gunman in the Molenbeek assassination.
Ardit SpahiuDeceased
Murder Victim | AL
Murdered in 2020 in Molenbeek, Brussels. Brother-in-law of the Alibej family. His killing was ordered by Franc Copja as retaliation in a blood feud originating from a 50 kg cocaine loss in Great Britain.
Erion Alibejstatus_witness
Key Witness / Rival Family | AL
Member of the rival Alibej family. Provided crucial testimony to Belgian authorities about the Copja organization. His brother Endrit Alibej was executed, and his sister's husband's brother Ardit Spahiu was murdered by the Copja network.
// other files
Marengo
The trial that exposed the heart of Dutch organized crime
The Cocaine Route
How billions in cocaine flows from South America to European streets
EncroChat
How police cracked the criminal underworld's secret phone network
Mocro Maffia
The rise of Dutch-Moroccan organized crime networks in Europe
Port Wars
The battle for Europe's cocaine gateways - Rotterdam vs Antwerp
Rif Connection
Morocco's Rif Mountains - the world's largest hashish production zone
Isaac "Boom" B.
From Katendrecht to cocaine kingpin - the rise and fall of Black Mamba
Taghi Dynasty
How Ridouan Taghi ran a criminal empire from the most secure prison in the Netherlands
Sky ECC
The crack of the century - how Belgian police broke the criminal underworld's encrypted phone network
Taghi's Hitman
The rise and fall of Gerel P. - Ridouan Taghi's most trusted assassin, from Utrecht to a Brazilian prison cell
Audi Gang
Dutch ATM bombers terrorizing Germany - high-speed Audis, explosives, and a trail of destruction across the border
The Invisible Baron
The shadowy rise and violent world of Peter van D, Limburg's unseen drug lord.
The Cocaine War
How the theft of 1,400 kg of cocaine from Antwerp ignited a six-week war across the Netherlands
The Helicopter Escape
Benaouf Adaoui - the man who ignited the Mocro War and planned one of the Netherlands' most spectacular prison escapes
Antwerp Drug War
How Europe's second port became a warzone between rival cocaine clans
Kompania Bello
The Albanian cocaine federation run from behind prison bars in Ecuador
Kinahan Tankers
How a UFC fighter linked to the Kinahan cartel directed $84 million in sanctioned oil tankers
The Shadow Bank
How billions in criminal money moves across the world without a single bank transfer
Jarki
The middleman who connected Taghi's inner circle to the murder of Peter R. de Vries
keywords
copja / dubai / albanian mafia / cocaine / elbasan / alibej / brussels murder / extradition