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"I need to rob a bank!" - SkyEcc wiretaps reveal how Franc Çopja instructed Ervis Çela to invest in gold bars: Turn it into gold, don't put money in the ground
2026-03-03 20:17:23 / AKTUALITET
In the show "Në Shënjestër" on News24 with author Klodiana Lala, transcribed conversations from the SkyEcc application were published, showing how the head of the criminal group Franc Çopja seeks to invest in cryptocurrencies, as a new form of money laundering.
Criminal groups are now increasingly using cryptocurrencies not only to make payments for the purchase of significant quantities of narcotics, but also to invest these proceeds in digital cryptocurrency wallets.
Among the leaked conversations are those between Franc Çopja and Ervis Çela, from the village of Fatish in Peqin, who can be considered without fear as the Albanian 'Pablo Escobar'.
He was a name almost unknown to the authorities in Albania, as he had settled in Paraguay, where he had established strong ties with cartel leaders, and the organization he led could be considered the most important hit so far by SPAK.
Ervis Cela and his brothers, Albini, Rizai and Ardiani, had managed to create an economic empire.
On Sky Ecc he boasted that he had made 100 million euros, but expressed concern about their transfer to Albania.
But his closest associate, Franc Çopja, advised him to invest in gold bars.
Just as he was actually doing himself.
Franc Çopja advises Ervis Çela to invest the money in gold bars and not bury them, as they risk being damaged.
Ervis Çela- Friend, I received 3.8 million today in Tirana… I have 200 olives in the mountain, they need to be planted with some kind of pot… Because olives live a long time…
Franc Çopja-Return to gold…. Don’t put money in the ground… Listen to me…
Ervis Çela-There's no gold... I need to rob a bank... I need to order from Africa...
Franc Çopja- I know there isn't one... I'll talk to someone, don't make them up. But collect them slowly. But don't put money in the ground because it spoils.
Ervis Çela- I know that money is wasted… Ask him. As long as he has 100-200 kilos…
It is precisely one of these conversations with Franc Çopjan, where Ervis Çela tells him that he is buying two portfolios, with the aim of investing in cryptocurrencies.
A portfolio that, according to him, amounts to 14 million dollars.
From where in a year he will manage to earn about 2.5 million dollars.
Even in the conversation between Franc Çopja and Maklen Mici, held on Sky Ecc in 2021, the head of the criminal group asks his associate to find 300 kg of gold.
This is the only way to turn the money earned from criminal activity into gold bars, in order to make it easier to hide it later, or convert it into cash when they need it.
Franc Çopja (Gergyli) asks Maklen Mici to find him 300 kg of gold.
Two days later, Mici sends Franc Çopja a message with this content: '30 kilos arrived, bring gold by Tuesday'.
Next, Franc Çopja again demands another 300 kg of gold, which according to Mici is worth 15.4 million euros.
Meanwhile, Mici writes: 'Put it wherever you want, the only thing that doesn't spoil is this.'
As the investigation revealed, this would not be the first time that Franc Çopja asked his associate to find him gold bars.
Which were purchased with money that was hidden at the currency exchange point, opposite the Bank of Albania.
Investigation into where 10 million euros in cryptocurrency were seized from the account of the criminal organization Çopja.
The portfolio is now in custody at a second-tier bank in Belgium.
Franc Çopja writes to Maclen Mici, asking him to find him 500 kg of gold.
Mici, in turn, sends him a photo showing 24-karat gold bars.
Where does the reasonable suspicion arise that Maklen Mici purchased 500 kg of gold, in 500 24-karat gold bars, on behalf of Franc Çopja.
Of course, seizing and blocking such a large amount of cryptocurrency was a great success for SPAK.
Cryptocurrencies which are then used in the construction sector, or even in other sectors important to the economy.
Dorina Bejko, head of the anti-corruption sector at SPAK, says that one of the businesses considered to have a high risk for money laundering is precisely foreign exchange points, along with other sectors.
"The sectors that appear as the highest risk sectors for money laundering are precisely the real estate investment sector, the construction sector, trading companies, foreign exchange offices, but recently what is new that has also resulted from the SPAK investigation is investing in cryptocurrencies.
"The money laundering process begins with the introduction and use of cash into the system," says Dorina Bejko from the anti-corruption section, SPAK.
According to her, the cryptocurrencies should then be translated, notarized, and materialized into gold bars.
At the first moment when the assets were identified, SPAK did not have the necessary capacities to enable the blocking of these cryptocurrencies.
Now, also due to the passage of time, SPAK, thanks to specialized training and expertise, has a better overall capacity than it had before in terms of investigating and blocking cryptocurrencies.
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