Albanian wanted in Italy for 'involvement in drug trafficking' arrested in UK | United Kingdom | News

AN ALBANIAN wanted in Italy to serve a sentence for belonging to an organized crime group involved in drug trafficking has been arrested in the UK.

Besnik Zekthi, 42, of an unknown address, was brought before Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday for the start of extradition proceedings.

Zekthi did not consent to being extradited and was held in custody ahead of another hearing this month at which a bail application will be considered.

He was detained because he was “likely to abscond and offend” and because of “the nature and seriousness of the offence, and the fact that he has an undisclosed sentence to purge,” according to the minutes of the hearing. .

A large number of convicted or suspected Albanian criminals wanted in Italy have been arrested in the UK for extradition in recent years.

Albanian criminal networks involved in the supply of cocaine, with links to supplier cartels in South America, worked with the Italian mafia to distribute the drug and transit it across Europe.

Historically, Albanian criminal gangs have also used Italian passports and identity documents to travel to the UK.

Last year, General Pasquale Angelosanto, commander of a special carabinieri unit that fights Italy's various mafia networks, said that Italy's powerful Ndrangheta mafia was collaborating with Albanian gangs to make billions of euros a year by importing cocaine from South America to Europe.

He said Albanian gangs were able to move large cargoes through Europe's largest container ports through concealment and corruption.

Polish national Artur Pawel Michalak, 49, of Barrow Road, Streatham, south London, also appeared at the extradition court on Saturday in connection with an unrelated matter.

The fugitive is wanted in his homeland to serve a sentence for undisclosed fraud.

He did not consent to extradition and was remanded in custody, due to a “long” sentence to serve, before a new hearing this month, according to court records.