Former Kosovo footballer Albert Kuqi sentenced to 8 years in prison in Finland, accused of taking 14 kg of drugs there

The Helsinki District Court has sentenced former Kosovo footballer Albert Kuqi to eight years in prison for three drug-related offences.

Kuqi, along with two other people, was accused of sending around 14 kilograms of cocaine to Finland on three separate occasions in 2024 and 2025. Nine and a half kilograms had already reached the market, wrote “iltalehti.fi”.

The 33-year-old was accused of securing accommodation for the group transporting cocaine to Finland, as well as finding customers and helping collect money from the trade.

Kuqi, however, according to the court ruling, played a more limited role than the two other Albanians, Lulzim Gërxhaliu and Ergi Tusha, who were sentenced to ten years and two months in prison each. They were considered responsible for organizing the trade.

According to the prosecution, they had committed the offences as part of the activities of a criminal group.

They are also required to hand over around 360,000 euros to the state, which they are suspected of having gained from the crimes.

Thirteen people were accused in this group. Ten of them were convicted and three were immediately acquitted.

The court ruling is not final and may be appealed.

Kuqi played at the highest level of football in Finland and in lower divisions. He retired in 2018.