Albert Kuqi

Albert Kuqi (born 14 February 1992) is a Finnish former footballer of Kosovo Albanian descent who played as a forward. He is the younger brother of footballers Shefki Kuqi and Njazi Kuqi. Kuqi played in the Veikkausliiga for FC Haka and FC Honka, among other clubs. In September 2025, the sentenced him to eight years in prison for three counts of aggravated narcotics offence related to the importation of cocaine into Finland.

Football career Kuqi played in the youth teams of HJK, AC Allianssi, and IF Gnistan before beginning his senior career in 2009. He signed a one-year contract with FC Haka in February 2011, with an option for a second year. He made ten appearances in the Veikkausliiga during the 2011 season. On loan at EIF in the Kakkonen in 2012, he scored 14 goals in 25 matches. He played five Veikkausliiga matches for FC Honka in 2014. His last club was VJS in 2017.

Criminal conviction In 2024–2025, the Helsinki Police Department's professional crime investigation unit uncovered a cocaine importation and distribution network that had smuggled at least 15 kilograms of cocaine from Belgium into Finland. During the investigation, police seized approximately five kilograms of cocaine, about 30 kilograms of marijuana, and more than €100,000 in counterfeit banknotes. The cocaine was systematically distributed to resellers in the Helsinki metropolitan area, and the group's proceeds—amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros—were channelled to Kosovo and Belgium. The core members' loyalty was reinforced by kinship and a shared cultural background. Kuqi had known Gerxhaliu since childhood, as Gerxhaliu was related to Kuqi's family through marriage.