An Albanian man who prosecutors said was building a submarine to smuggle cocaine to Europe faces up to life in federal prison after jurors Friday convicted him of heading an international drug ring bankrolled by a Grosse Pointe Park businessman, a conspiracy that placed the kingpin among Metro Detroit's most prolific and innovative criminals in recent history. Ylli Didani, 47, was convicted on all counts in federal court in Detroit late Friday afternoon after jurors deliberated for about nine hours over two days following a trial that started in February in front of U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood. Didani, who has been in custody since 2021, faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. He spent more than half of the trial serving as his own lawyer before stepping aside for veteran Birmingham criminal defense attorney Wade Fink. Didani was convicted of conspiracy to distribute drugs, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a controlled substance on board a vessel, and conspiracy to launder money. Prosecutors portrayed Didani as leading a prolific drug trafficking organization that involved obtaining financing from Grosse Pointe Park businessman Marty Tibbitts. Prosecutors say the money was used to buy thousands of kilograms of cocaine in South America that was transported aboard cargo ships to Europe from at least October 2016 until Didani was arrested in March 2021. "I respect the jury's verdict and appreciate them taking multiple days to deliberate," Fink wrote in a text message to The Detroit News. "This case has a lot for the Court of Appeals to wrestle with, not the least of which is warrantless searches and the United States criminalizing conduct that allegedly happened overseas." Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 18. There was no immediate comment from prosecutors Friday. The verdict marks the first conviction in a high-profile, complex case since Interim U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon was appointed earlier this month. Didani was innovative. He and Tibbitts, CEO of Harper Woods-based Clementine Live Answering Service, were developing a remote-controlled submarine designed to hold up to 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and attach itself via magnets to cargo ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean. That development stalled when Tibbitts crashed his vintage de Havilland DH 112 Venom fighter jet during a training flight in July 2018. He was 50. Federal investigators eventually cracked Didani's encrypted phone and a secret app favored by international crime bosses, leading to drug seizures across Europe. In all, from Spain to the United Kingdom to the Netherlands, from 2017 to 2020, investigators seized more than 4,800 kilograms, or 10,582 pounds, of cocaine hidden in fruit and freight shipments, according to the government. The seized cocaine was worth more than $100 million. The trial started in February and revealed the drug conspiracy also involved Don Larson, an ex-con from Macomb County who owns all of the Gold's Gym franchises in Michigan. Larson, a Macomb Township resident who owns gyms in Warren and Taylor, backed a key part of the government's case by testifying about being a passenger on a clandestine private flight from Detroit to Washington, D.C., and hand-delivering $450,000 in cash stuffed in a duffle bag from Tibbitts to Didani. What was the money for? Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy McDonald asked Larson. “…to buy cocaine…,” Larson said. More: Gold's Gym Detroit owner was cocaine kingpin's bag man, trial testimony shows More: Armored trucks, big bucks focus of alleged Detroit area drug kingpin Didani's trial More: Accused cocaine submarine kingpin betrayed by messaging app, feds say More: Secret life of Grosse Pointe CEO Marty Tibbitts a focus of cocaine submarine trial More: Submarine drug smuggler fretted as cocaine empire crumbled, feds say More: Feds indict alleged drug kingpin linked to cocaine submarine, Grosse Pointe Park man More: Grosse Pointe businessman led secret life financing international drug ring, feds say Jurors heard testimony about how the drug ring generated money that Didani spent on oceanfront real estate in the Caribbean, a fleet of bulletproof vehicles and how he used a crew of Chinese couriers around the country to pay for the luxuries in cash. The trial offered a peek at the riches of Didani’s alleged drug ring and showed how prosecutors said he laundered money by buying real estate and a fleet of vehicles, including two armored Chevy Tahoes ($127,150 each), a $143,000 armored Lexus LX 570 sport-utility vehicle and an armored Mercedes-AMG G 63 SUV ($295,350). Highlights during the Didani trial included testimony from businessmen accused of helping Didani launder money. That includes Alex Meskouris, a New York City real estate investor who, as recently as last year, ran the famous Jackson Hole diner, a Queens landmark featured in "Goodfellas." More: From cocaine submarine to 'Goodfellas' diner: Kingpin's scheme spanned globe, feds say "Alex Meskouris was somebody that is alleged to, or that we believe, was involved in a money laundering scheme with Mr. Didani," Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Bilkovic told the judge during an earlier court hearing. Meskouris testified that Didani was interested in buying a $2.775 million oceanfront property in the Dominican Republic and a nearby golf course property for $1.05 million in 2020. The properties were owned by the Meskouris family. rsnell@detroitnews.com This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Drug kingpin Ylli Didani convicted in case involving cocaine-smuggling submarine

Five Colombian citizens, including a family of three, have been remanded in custody until 5 October in connection with two cocaine smuggling cases, mbl.is reports. The family arrived in Iceland early on 29 July and were arrested at Keflavík Airport carrying 2.4 kilograms of cocaine. The following…

A 24-year-old woman has told Holbæk Court that her mother did not know cocaine was hidden in their car, as both women face charges of smuggling 67.2 kilos of cocaine from Germany to Denmark, DR reports. The women are accused of bringing at least 30 kilos into Denmark on August 18 and a further 37…

The article details Europe's escalating battle against cocaine trafficking along its coastlines, highlighting a call-to-action memo urging nations to adopt aggressive tactics. A 2.5-ton cocaine shipment intercepted by European authorities underscores the scale of the crisis, with smugglers using high-powered vessels to evade detection. While proposals for 'engine-disabling tactics and shooting' have been suggested, they remain less extreme than the Trump administration's past missile strikes on smuggling ships. The piece emphasizes the growing threat of organized crime networks exploiting maritime routes, prompting debates over the balance between security measures and legal boundaries. European leaders are under pressure to modernize coast guard capabilities and coordinate cross-border operations, as the illicit drug trade continues to fuel regional instability. The narrative also touches on the broader implications for international law enforcement cooperation and the challenges of combating transnational organized crime in the 21st century.

Guramrit Sidhu, a Canadian national dubbed 'The King' in underworld circles, was sentenced to 20 years in U.S. prison for orchestrating large-scale cocaine and methamphetamine smuggling operations into Canada. The conviction followed a joint FBI-Canadian investigation called Operation Dead Hand, which dismantled cross-border smuggling networks. Sidhu arranged for drugs hidden in commercial tractor-trailers to be transported via key border crossings like the Detroit-Windsor tunnel and Niagara Peace Bridge. His guilty plea secured a 20-year sentence, with provisions for serving the final half of his term in Canada. Despite a prior kidnapping conviction in Canada (not recognized by U.S. courts), Sidhu received leniency due to his cooperation and family support letters. The case highlights complex legal and international law enforcement challenges in combating drug trafficking. Text messages revealed coded communication ('water' for meth, 'girls' for cocaine) and unique banknote serial numbers used as identity verification. Sidhu's sentence underscores the severe consequences of organized drug smuggling across North America.

Cool Carriers, one of the world’s largest operators of specialised refrigerated cargo vessels, known as reefers, has rejected allegations broadcast by Danish TV2 linking the group to a cocaine-smuggling scheme off Denmark’s coast.

May 15, a Nigerian court found the crew of the Chayanee Naree, guilty of trafficking approximately 32.9 kilograms of cocaine into the country.

YouTube video by B.C. Begley

An American woman who was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison in the United Kingdom for cocaine smuggling has re-emerged on… The post American Woman Jailed 12 Years in UK for Cocaine Smuggling Freed After Just 19 Months: ‘God is Great’ appeared first on Shine My Crown.