Albania: Operation “End Point”, on dismantling call-center-based computer fraud networks

2026 marks the 25^th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime (also known as the Budapest Convention ).

H ere are 25 selected real cases and operations against cybercrime that speak for themselves on the usefulness and relevance of the Convention and its framework in the daily work of criminal justice authorities worldwide, working on fighting against cybercrime and protecting you and your rights in cyberspace.

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25 cases

Back Albania: Operation “End Point”, on dismantling call-center-based computer fraud networks

Operation “End Point” marked the culmination of intensive joint efforts by Albania's Cybercrime and Economic Crime Investigation Directorates to dismantle call-center based computer fraud networks operating out of Tirana. Acting on a court order issued on 15 June 2026 by the Tirana Court of First Instance, the State Police's General Directorate, in co-operation with the Tirana Local Police Directorate and under the direction of the Tirana Prosecution Office, carried out searches of several premises suspected of being converted into call-center fraud operations.

The operation resulted in the flagrant arrest of seven individuals — four Albanian nationals, one Paraguayan, and two Angolan nationals, all residents of Tirana — while a further 27 suspects, including nationals of Brazil and France, were referred to prosecution under non-custodial measures. Authorities seized a quantity of euros suspected to be proceeds of the criminal activity, along with 70 computer units and 49 mobile phones.

The suspects are believed to have been involved in computer fraud, illegal employment, and income concealment carried out through telephone call-center schemes designed to defraud victims. Investigations remain ongoing, in co-operation with the Tirana Prosecution Office, to fully document the criminal network, identify additional suspects, and determine corresponding legal responsibilities.

Operation “End Point” engaged the Budapest Convention primarily through the domestic use of search and seizure powers under Article 19, as reflected in the court-authorised searches of premises used for call-centre fraud and the seizure of numerous computers and mobile phones. The investigation also relied on production orders under Article 18 to obtain subscriber data, account information, or communications-related records, together with preservation measures under Articles 16 and 17 to prevent the loss of relevant data. The case illustrates how the Convention’s procedural toolkit can support the evidential development of domestic cyber-enabled fraud investigations even where the operation itself is not expressly framed as an international one.