The show "In the Saint" by Klodiana Lala on News 24, this evening addressed the failed assassination attempt on Inez Hajrulla, considered one of the leaders of a criminal group in Vlora.
Excerpts from the documentary:
They had made the decision to kill him in time. But maybe this was the best time for them to end it the right way. Therefore, for this purpose, they had taken all the necessary measures to ambush him, calling to arms, even a hired killer. But Inez Hajrulla, known by the nickname 'Sakati', and his friend Ervis Matodashaj, called 'Qorri', were not so ignorant of the dangers that threatened them. They even knew very well that setting foot in the city, without taking care, would be a sure elimination for them. Just as in fact it had happened to 'Sakat' earlier, when they tried to kill him through a remote-controlled explosion, which left him crippled for life.
But how was the assassination discovered, the group of agents and soldiers who were paid to follow and kill Inez Hajrrulla, in August 2023? And what were the deep merits that the organizers of the murder had with this character, that it seems that after the elimination of another crime leader in the city of Vlora, in this case Edison Harizaj, known by the nickname Edison Faqeddjeguri, seems to have taken the reins of the world of evil in this city, entering why not in hise, other characters in this city, who sought to capture the games of chance.
Everything, according to the file provided by the show 'On target', seems to start after the arrest of a citizen from Shkodra, who in the middle of August last year had landed in the city of Vlora, where he was often seen circulating in the frequented area from the new boss, attendance that seems to have caught the eye of his soldiers as well. This contract killer was Amarildo Nikolli (Jhanej), who on August 7, 2023, was arrested near the area known as 'Uji i Ftohtë' in Vlorë, with a silencer with him, with a bullet in the muzzle of the gun, ready to shooting. The 35-year-old man was also carrying a backpack, inside of which a quantity of ammunition, a hood and gloves were found, from which it was discovered that he was there to kill Inez Hajrulla.
"From the acts forwarded by the Vlora Prosecutor's Office, it has emerged that on August 7, 2023, at 12:47, in the 'Uji Ftohtë' neighborhood, in the city of Vlora, during the physical check carried out by the police services of the Sector Amarildo Nikolli "Fast Albania", were found as material evidence: a "Pietro Beretta" pistol, with a silencer, with a magazine filled with 14 cartridges, caliber 9 mm, as well as a cartridge inserted in the firing slot . During the inspection of the rented apartment that this citizen had taken in the city of Vlora near the "1 Maji" school, a pair of plastic gloves with the inscription 'Kedman' were also found", explained the police.
But who were the people hiding behind Nikolli and what was his connection with one of them, considered the key person who wanted the elimination of Hajrulla? And what was his old feud with what was known as the new boss of the city; anger carried over time that had become for him an imperative need to eliminate it. According to the confessions and the decryption of the conversations between the members of the structured criminal group, also found on the phone of Amarildo Nikolli, the one who was paid to get rid of Inez Hajrulla, the key person who was being invested to close accounts with her, turns out to be Leonard Luzi, a resident of Vlora, known by the nickname 'Nard Çami' or 'Daku'.
"Regarding the failed assassination attempt against the citizen Inez Hajrulla, criminal proceedings have been registered based on the referral of the General Directorate of Police on suspicions of a structured criminal group composed of citizens residing in Vlora and Tirana. Who committed murders with a motive of revenge, on behalf of other criminal groups. In the composition of this group, it is suspected that the citizen Leonard Luzi, resident in Vlora, otherwise known by the nickname 'Nard Çami' or 'Daku', is also there", explained the Prosecutor's Office.
But Leonard Luzi, who also bears the surname Zejno, and Amarildo Nikolli, were not the head and the only member of the criminal group that was pursued to kill Inez Hajrulla. The investigations revealed that there were two other people with them, who had an active role in monitoring the target and gathering the necessary information about his movements and the time when they should strike. These persons were Muharrem Koroveshi and Erjon Zejno. Although at first Amarildo Nikolli refused to speak for the investigative team, he soon broke down, revealing not only the reason for his arrival in the city of Vlora, but also his accomplices in the sensational murder that they had planned to carry out in city.
"During the initial interrogation, citizen Amarildo Nikolli (Jhanej) refused to give explanations. But in the following, he agreed to cooperate and show in detail that he was contracted by Leonard Luzi to commit the murder of two people in the city of Vlora. Specifically, Inez Hajrulla with the nickname 'Sakati' and Ervis Matodashaj with the nickname 'Qorri', and that the co-investigators Erjon Zejno and Muharrem Koroveshi helped to commit this murder," the investigation file states.
And why did Leonard Luzi so persistently seek to kill especially Inez Hajrulla? And was he really the financier of the execution, or did someone else broker it, knowing and exploiting his old vendetta with Hajrulla, in order to eliminate him. And how did he meet Amarildo Nikolli? The latter showed step by step, all the dynamics of how he was recruited, but also interesting details for the investigative group, to understand how a criminal group works and what is their organization from the base to the top of the pyramid. But also the payments of how much a murder of such levels is worth, which also determines the importance of the head that must be removed from the body. As in this case when the suitcase with money for the heads of Hajrulla and Matodashaj was big enough.
"Amarildo Nikolli has stated that they met Leonard Luz in prison in Italy. This citizen gave the order to Nikolli, for the murder of Ervis Matodashaj and Inez Hajrulla, against the payment of 250,000 euros for each. For committing these murders, Amarildo Nikolli would be helped by Leonard Luz's two connections, citizens Erjon Zejno and Muharrem Koroveshi," he testified.
But interesting in Nikolli's story, is the man dressed in mystery, who lives in Dubai, who was determined to eliminate 'Sakat'. But who is this character, and what was the obstacle that Hajrulla had created for him and why he had found Leonard Luz, to call this job closed.
"From the investigations it appears that the financing for the murder of Inez Hajrulla was carried out by a citizen from Vlora residing in Dubai. The reason for the killing of these citizens was to take control of gambling and to take revenge, after they had killed their nephew", the investigation file states.
So, as seen, Inez Hajrulla had entered and was developing the illegal gambling activity in the city of Vlora, a market which had conflicted with the interests of its competitors. But also with some previous criminal events, where he turns out to be involved or where his rivals thought he had a hand. But in order to once again return to the person of Amarildo Nikolli and prove how reliable his statements were compared to other people involved in the plan for the execution of Inez Hajrulla and his friend Ervis Matodashaj, the investigative group had to first take some confirmations related to the crime weapon but also to his fingerprints.
"Regarding the seized 'Beretta' type weapon, it turns out to be one of many weapons stolen from a gun shop in North Macedonia, on November 22, 2017, in this state. Similarly, from the return of the response of Interpol Rome, it is confirmed that the fingerprints belong to the citizen registered in Italy, Amarildo Nikolli (Jhanej) born on February 23, 1988", the file states.
But how was Amarildo Nikolli recruited from Shkodra to eliminate Inez Hajrullan, known by the nickname "Sakati"?
According to the investigative group and the confessions of Amarildo Nikolli himself, it was precisely the life in Italy and the criminal activity that he had practiced in this country, that had put the young man at the crossroads. But also in the conditions of survival after leaving the long deprivation of liberty, where he was convicted for distributing narcotics. When he returned to Albania at the beginning of 2023 with his wife, he found him without income. And consequently in the need for money. The moment when he calls for help his memory and his friend from the time of the prisons in Italy, who was none other than Leonard Luzi.
"I lived for rent, on 'Don Bosko' street in Tirana. I lived in this apartment with citizen Xh. N, from January to May 2023, and then I left for Spain. Before returning to Albania, I lived in Italy from 2003 to 2022. Where I served 9 years in prison for distributing narcotics. Due to the economic situation, since I was unemployed and had no other means of living, I sought to get in touch with the citizen Leonard Zejno, whom I had known during his time in prison in Prato, Italy, where Leonard was serving his sentence for attempted murder", testifies Amarildo Nikolli.
And it looks like Leonard answered his old friend's call for work. But Amarildo says he didn't know that he who was once his fellow sufferer would give him a job with more leverage than he thought... A double murder for which he would be paid very well and close simultaneously many economic problems
"When we were in prison, Leonardi told me that his brother and nephew had been killed in Albania. But because we were transferred to another prison, I lost contact with him. When I came from Spain, Nardi contacted me and made an appointment at a bar in Tirana. He came there alone and during the conversation I asked him for help, always with the thought of selling narcotics, but Leonardi told me if I could do another job for more money. This job was to follow a person in Vlora and kill him. He told me that the targets would be two people, known by the nickname 'Sakati' and 'Qorri'. "Nardi told me that I would do all the work myself and after the murder, I would leave with the help of two people," says Nikolli.
During his testimony, Amarildo Nikolli confessed that Nardi also gave him the characteristics of the two people he was going to shoot. For one of them, 'Qorrin' was able to provide a photo taken from the security cameras of a bar in the city. "During one of the conversations, Nardi also gave me a photo of the person nicknamed 'Qorri', which in terms of quality was poor, as it was taken from the security cameras of a bar. Nardi told me that you can tell him easily, because 'Corri' has eyes like 'ping pong', while 'Ini' had one broken leg. Nardi also told me that the reason he was so intent on killing these two people was for business and enmity. While the payment was to be given by a person who was in Dubai, but whose name he did not tell me. But by killing these two people, they would take control of Vlora and at the same time betting and fines", says Nikolli.