The Turkish court approves the extradition of Dritan Rexhep to Albania

2024-02-16 14:22:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Turkish court approves the extradition of Dritan Rexhep to Albania

Dritan Rexhepi

The Turkish court has approved the extradition of Dritan Rexhep to Albania. The decision was made today, as Dritan Rexhepi is accused of the kidnapping and disappearance of Jan Prenga.

On November 22, 2022, Albania forwarded to Turkey the request for the extradition of the considered 'Albanian drug kingpin', following his arrest in Istanbul on November 10, 2023.

In addition to Albania, Italian justice was also in the race for the extradition of Dritan Rexhepi, after the Florence court had sentenced him to 20 years in prison for the charge of cocaine trafficking from Ecuador to the neighboring country.

Who is Dritan Rexhepi?

Rexhepi is a very well-known name in the world of crime. He is described as the capo of the cartel that controlled drug trafficking from Ecuador to Europe.

He has been extradited from several countries for his criminal activity. The Albanian, who is the head of the "Bello" company, was caught in Ecuador with 278 kilograms of cocaine in 2014 in an operation called "Balcanes" and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The drug "boss" served a sentence for several years, while controlling his activity from prison.

Rexhepi is also involved in a criminal scheme in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain, while he is also wanted by the Italian authorities.

Dritan Rexhepi's crimes

Italian authorities accuse him of having ordered at least two murders while in prison, in Ecuador and Albania. The Albanian has denied his involvement in these crimes.

While in Albania, Dritan Rexhepi, until 2014, was on the top 10 most wanted list by Interpol Tirana.

In Albania, he is sentenced in absentia to 25 years of imprisonment, for the murder of two policemen in Fushë-Kruje, Arben Keqi and Durim Kasmi, which happened in 1998.

At that time, the Albanian police described him as the first hired killer.

Also, SPAK accuses him of ordering the kidnapping of 49-year-old Jan Prenga on January 17, 2020. The victim was never found and is presumed dead.

In Barcelona, ??Spain, he is accused of robbing one of the biggest banks, the evening when all the fans were in the square celebrating the victory of the "Champions League" by the Barcelona team.

The drug "boss" had escaped from prison several times. In 2008, he escaped from Pavia prison in Italy, in the car of an elderly woman. As a result, the entire prison staff was dismissed.

He escaped the hands of the police in Albania as well. He was arrested in 2006 in the lobby of a hotel in Tirana with two pistols in his belt, but with the help of a police officer who left the door open for him, he escaped from the Durrës police station.

In October 2011, two months after being put in handcuffs, he escaped from a prison in Belgium, along with another convict. For this reason, he has been described as the "king" of escapes. /CNA