The Policia Nacional in Spain has arrested Lulzim Berisha, 52, an alleged Albanian mobster who had been on the run for nearly two years.
Berisha, described as one of Albania’s ‘Most Wanted,’ was reportedly the mastermind behind a criminal gang responsible for numerous murders dating back to 1998.
Police had been searching for Berisha, who went by the moniker “Durres” named after the region in Albania where he conducted his criminal activities.
The arrest took place in an apartment located in the popular holiday destination of Playa de San Juan in Alicante, where a lot of British expats reside, reports Olive Press.
Berisha’s criminal career traces back to the 90s, and the Police Nacional stated that his gang had gained significant control in the region, positioning itself as the primary exporter of cocaine and weapons in Albania.
The notorious mobster was wanted for the 2005 murders of two individuals, a settling of scores between rival gangs.
His associates were brought to justice 15 years later when an Albanian court sentenced 16 members of his crew to four life sentences and 267 years in prison for charges including murder, extortion, and kidnapping.
Despite being arrested seven years ago in Macedonia and extradited to Albania, Berisha managed to escape a 25-year prison sentence.
The Durres court granted him bail on health grounds after the Supreme Court rejected the prosecution’s request for life imprisonment.
Seizing the opportunity of his release, Berisha fled the country, eventually finding refuge in the Alicante area. There, he reportedly continued his criminal activities and obtained false Bulgarian papers to assume a new identity.
In January 2022, the Durres Prosecutor’s Office declared Lulzim Berisha a ‘wanted man’. Aware that authorities were closing in, Berisha was reportedly preparing to relocate when the Policia Nacional swooped in to arrest him at Playa de San Juan earlier this month.
The National Court in Madrid is currently processing Albania’s extradition request, which Berisha has indicated he will vehemently oppose. The arrest marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the crimes committed by Berisha and his criminal gang over the past decades.
