Albanian intelligence chief placed under house arrest in corruption investigation

Vlora Hyseni, the head of the Albanian State Intelligence Service (SHISH), was placed under house arrest following an investigation by the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). Hyseni is accused of leaking classified information to help businessman Ergys Agasi evade arrest. Agasi had been a fugitive for eight months before his detention on August 26, 2026, in connection with a scheme involving manipulated public tenders.

Initially reported to be abroad, Hyseni surrendered to authorities at the Morina border crossing on September 22, 2026, after returning from a counter-terrorism forum in Baku via Kosovo. Following her surrender, she was transferred to Tirana, where she was formally suspended from her position. The ongoing investigation has also impacted other high-ranking officials, including the interrogation of former police chief Ilir Proda and the arrest of a senior official from the forensic police department.

Hyseni, who previously served as deputy director of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, was appointed to head SHISH in 2023 after serving as a national security advisor to Prime Minister Edi Rama. The case marks a significant development in Albania's broader effort to combat corruption within its security apparatus, with prosecutors currently analyzing evidence seized during raids on residences associated with those under investigation.