EXCLUSIVE: Albanian wanted over Greek murder is arrested in hiding in UK

AN ALBANIAN national wanted over a murder in Greece has been arrested in hiding in the UK.

Andjus Neli, 25, of an unknown address, was arrested at an undisclosed location this month.

He was twice appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court (above) where he was remanded in custody ahead of an extradition hearing.

The case was adjourned.

Neli is the latest in a number of Albanians, wanted for serious crimes in Europe, who have been found hiding in the UK before entering the extradition process.

Dritan Galyas, 36, of no fixed abode, was arrested earlier this year by Cleveland Police.

He is wanted in Germany over 15 drugs trafficking offences.

At a hearing last month he consented to be extradited to Germany in custody.

The same day Albanian Agron Sinani, 37, of an unknown address, consented to be extradited to Italy to face charges of threats to kill and drugs supply.

He was arrested in Kent and is being sent there in custody as he was found in possession of different identity documents.

Two days later Vehap Biba, 51, who was arrested during the lockdown hiding in Feltham, west London, consented to extradition to Italy.

In 2011 he was sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting three counts of trafficking heroin into Italy with seven other men, who were members of Albania's notorious Durres crime gang.

Biba managed to flee to the UK before being jailed.

The Durres gang controls drug smuggling from the port of the same name, and has been involved in kidnappings, extortion and murders of rivals. The Italian court heard that Durres second in command Endrit Doklen ran the smuggling operation from his jail cell.

Biba is being extradited in custody after being found in possession of false ID documents and a driving licence.

It is not known if they have been sent back yet as the court has a huge backlog of extradition cases, which keep being delayed, due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month Essex News and Investigations revealed how more than 40 suspected or convicted major drugs traffickers, wanted by countries across Europe.

Six of them were Albanians wanted in Italy.

Albanian mafia groups have become major players in the drug supply networks across Europe, particularly in the UK and Italy, and many deal directly with Colombian drug cartels to import cocaine at cheaper rates than other criminal networks.

last month Albanian Lorenc Sula, 41, whose address is not known, was arrested by Bedfordshire Police after Greece issued a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for his arrest on suspicion of aggravated drugs trafficking.