TIRANA, Albania: A businessman based in Miami, who is wanted in Albania for allegedly laundering drug money, is suspected of faking land ownership documents for a coastal area where Jared Kushner plans to build a multi-billion-dollar resort. This was stated in case files reviewed by Reuters by Albania's anti-organized crime agency.

The businessman, Artur Shehu, denied all the accusations through his lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani. The lawyer confirmed that Albanian prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant for Shehu over claims that he laundered money for drug gangs.

According to the case files, Shehu and his associates trafficked cocaine from South America into European ports. The files say they then laundered the money by building a real estate business, including by using fake land ownership documents.

Cakrani said that none of the claims about Shehu's character were true, and that Shehu was not involved in drug trafficking or forging property documents. He also said that Shehu was aware of the allegations but believed they did not concern him, as he maintained that the truth was completely different from what prosecutors claimed.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Justice Department declined to say whether the department had received any request from Albania to locate or detain Shehu in Miami.

In April, Shehu sold the coastal land for the planned resort to Albania Land Development. The developers of the Kushner-backed project, Sazan Real Estate Development, own this company along with other investors.

Prosecutors stated in the case files that there were reasonable suspicions, based on evidence, that the assets were acquired using forged documents.

The files do not accuse Kushner, Sazan Real Estate Development, Albania Land Development, or any other investors of wrongdoing. Reuters also found no evidence that investors were aware of any concerns about Shehu when they bought the land.

A spokesperson for Sazan Real Estate Development did not directly respond to the allegations against Shehu but said the company believed the land purchases were legitimate. Albania Land Development did not reply to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for Kushner also declined to comment. Although Sazan has confirmed that Kushner is an investor, the exact details of his role and investment have not been made public.

The claims that the land documents may have been falsified create another problem for the project, which is already facing protests over concerns about damage to wildlife.

Residents of the nearby village of Zvernec have been challenging Shehu's ownership of the land in court for more than ten years. Last month, several residents showed Reuters documents, including title deeds and tax records, which they said proved they were the true owners. Their lawyer, Kostandin Beko, said the case is still ongoing and that they plan to ask the court to stop the resort project.

Albania, once one of Europe's poorest and most isolated countries, is now a candidate to join the European Union. It is seeing rapid development along its largely untouched Adriatic coastline.

The Kushner-backed resort is planned in an area with beaches, forests, and wetlands that are home to sea turtles and flamingos. The flamingos have become a symbol for those opposing the project, who call their protests the "Flamingo Revolution."

Ivanka Trump, Kushner's wife, has said that the idea for the resort came to them when they saw the coastline from a yacht several years ago.

Kushner Announced Project in 2024

In 2024, Kushner announced the project on social media, sharing images that showed hotels, villas, pools, and yacht facilities. He has not publicly stated how much he has invested.

When asked about the allegations against Shehu, a government spokesperson said the government would not interfere in private business deals but added that the project complied with Albanian and EU laws.

The European Commission has previously urged Albania to comply with EU environmental rules regarding the project. A spokesperson for the Commission did not provide further comment.

Albania's Special Structure for the Prosecution of Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) was established in 2019 to combat corruption and includes independent investigators and prosecutors.

The files are about 200 pages long and have not been made public. A spokesperson for SPAK confirmed that the agency is investigating the matter but declined to give more details.

The files are dated June 12, 2026. On the same day, SPAK also announced arrest warrants for 20 people accused of drug trafficking and money laundering from those activities.