Convicted in Italy for international drug trafficking and under investigation for drug smuggling, Ilir Shehu (Pasholli) has received 663 tenders only with ‘Medicamenta’ from 2015-2026, is a 50% partner with Artan Gaçin in ‘Uni Pharma’ and has built 3 buildings worth 15 million euros in 7 years, without having any legal source. SPAK does not act, despite the reports of the Financial Intelligence Agency…
Ilir Shaban Shehu, with his 3 companies “Medicamenta”, “Mega Store” and “Uni Pharma”, in the latter a 50% partner with Artan Gaçin, the husband of Olta Xhaçka, is also in the network of beneficiaries of health tenders, the favorite of the leaders of the ministry and hospitals.
While the anti-crime agencies of the USA and the EU have asked the Albanian Government not to allow the participation in tenders of companies with owners and partners of individuals convicted and convicted of trafficking, smuggling and money laundering, Ilir Shehu is one of the favorites who continues to receive millions of euros in health funds, even plots, land and construction permits.
Even the “Anti-Mafia Law” defines the obligation of state institutions that any individual convicted of international drug trafficking, smuggling and money laundering should be prohibited from benefiting from public funds and assets and the source of the wealth should be investigated.
Specifically, Ilir Shehu results in a conviction in Italy for international drug trafficking and an investigation into drug smuggling; while after the sentence in 2004, he returned to Albania.
He used the surname “Pasholli” of his mother, Deko Pasholli, to hide his identity and avoid the property investigation, while later, because he received guarantees of inviolability from the chiefs of justice, he came out again with his surname “Shehu”.
After returning to Albania, the trafficker and smuggler Ilir Shehu did not own any commercial activity, wealth or inheritance from his parents or other sources, except for the monthly salary of 60 thousand ALL.
While within 7 years, Ilir Shehu (Pasholli) built 3 luxury business buildings in Tirana, with a total area of over 9 thousand m² and an investment value of about 15 million euros.
SPAK is not acting, although there are denunciations and reports from the Financial Intelligence Agency, and there are even data from the Cadastre of the National Business Center on the assets, transactions, alienations and purchases of shares of the convict Ilir Shehu (Pasholli), with the full suspicion that they were created with the income from traffic and smuggling.
The non-initiation of the investigation for businessman Ilir Shehu (Pasholli) does not show that justice is incompetent, but we are dealing with selective justice, not affecting this convicted trafficker, who under the mask of a businessman has cleaned millions of drugs, legalizing them with official acts, hidden also through the income from the tenders given to him by the Ministry of Health and other entities.
One of the dozens of cases is this: Ilir Shehu fictitiously asked the husband of Olta Xhaçka, the builder Artan Gaçi, 1.5 million euros with usury and he gave it to him, but without a notarial deed, since for loans with a notarial contract verification is done by anti-crime agencies for the source of income.
For the game with the debt of 1.5 million euros, which is said to be at 5%, Xhaçka’s husband and businessman Ilir Shehu of the companies “Mega Store”, “Medicamenta” and “Uni Pharma” have made a money laundering game, with this scheme: If the loan and interest percentage is not regularly repaid, the minister’s husband becomes a co-owner of shares with her.
Referring to official data, during the period January 2015 – August 2026, it turns out that only with the company “Medicamenta”, drug smuggler Ilir Shaban Shehu (Pasholli) received 663 tenders in health and other public institutions, with a total value of about 33 million euros including VAT.
