under the guise of an aesthetic and curated business, with well-known international brands, luxurious premises and selected clientele, Tirana Police has intervened for the first time in a market segment that until now had remained almost untouched: the luxury clothing and accessories market.
The VOICE has learned that the subjects prosecuted in the Prosecutor’s Office by the Police during the “Illegal Trade” operation that took place on Saturday, are now officially under investigation: Zaboo Garden, Brandville, Daka Brand, Prive, Monarch Luxury Boutique, Senso Unico, Beleri Shpk and Datja&Co.
If you start searching on social networks for the object of activity of these stores, everything seems to be in order. But as soon as you start looking officially in the Albanian business register, (QKB), some things don’t go right. Very few of these businesses are registered with their commercial names in Albania.
Officially, these businesses are being investigated on the grounds that they sell smuggled luxury brand products without accompanying documentation proving origin and customs clearance.
But sources told ZÜRI that the verifications have gone further. In the sieve is not only the commercial activity, but also the way of financing some entities, the circulation of money, the real ownership and the possible connections between the companies and the individuals behind them.
4 of them, Zaboo Garden, Brandille, Prive and Monarch Luxury Boutique are suspected of having an abnormal commercial flow and the investigation is expected to reveal whether it is normal commercial activity or a mechanism used to circulate and legalize income of dubious origin.
How do luxury goods enter Albania?
Sources told the VOICE that the police suspect that these 8 entities pass the luxury products through Rinas Airport, through “personal shopper”, a term that has become a trend in recent years, which unites the personal shopper with all those who cannot travel to get their products.
The personal shopper is the person who brings the luxury goods to the store. By bribing the control officers at the border point, he manages to pass the goods bought abroad to the respective shops. “Such routes are made every week” – said a police source for VOICE.
These products are then put into stores for unauthorized resale by the international brand at a value several times higher. But do they really sell?
“Not always. In some cases, it is enough for the real owners of these stores to manage to receive bills to create the perception that they have a solid income to justify the other assets they have,” added the source.
Who are the 8 administrators prosecuted by the Police?
Kamela Gjinollari – Dhaka
Julian Beleri – Beleri
Alfred Datja – Senso Unici Albania
Bledar Date – Date & Co
George Hysi – Prive 2019
