Since 2020, the state police has announced arrests in Dubai of some of the highest exponents of Albanian crime.
Although it is always said that they are awaiting extradition, none of them has touched Albanian soil to face justice.
Even the handcuffing of Durim Bami three days ago in the United Emirates is the same story. The same police statement that the extradition procedures have already started for the 45-year-old, but the news from Dubai ended quickly with the release of the suspects.
Even though everyone wanted Bam's disappearance, they put 1 million euros on his head, he was a difficult target. In the "Revanshi" file, the former socialist deputy Arben Ndoka demanded his disappearance, as he suspected Bam of being involved in the murder of his brother. The 45-year-old could not be arrested in Albania, while he was handcuffed in Dubai, writes a2 .
But over the years, even though there have been attempts by the government through the interior ministers to reach an extradition agreement, something like this has never been completed. The first to be handcuffed in September 2020 was Eldi Dizdari.
Also known as Denis Matoshi, he was one of those arrested as part of the cocaine cartel, which was hit by Europol during the "Los Blancos" operation.
Although Dizdari was jailed for Italy and there was a lot of talk about his criminal activity of international drug trafficking, Dubai refused to extradite him to both Albania and Italy.
A few months later, the same story with one of the members of the former Durrës gang, Plaurent Dervishaj.
In December 2020, Dervishaj, who was wanted for the murder of businessman Valdin Lamaj and Klodian Saliu in 2005, was arrested in Dubai. The State Police at the time said they were working on his extradition, but Dervishaj's prison term only lasted 40 days.
In March 2021, Florenc Çapja was handcuffed by the agents of the Interpol office in Abu Dhabi.
The prosecutor's office of Elbasan had declared Florenc Çapjan wanted for the murder of Nezir Gentian Beqir that happened in 2012, but shortly before the order for his arrest was issued, Çapjan had left the country. In Dubai, as well as with other wanted persons, after a few days' stay in the cell, he was released on bail.
A few months later, in December of the same year, another was arrested and filed by the police. Mikael Qosja or Kel Kamami is one of the people suspected by the police for the triple murder of 2019 at the entrance of Elbasan where Enea Alibej, Albert Dyldjeri and the Turkish citizen Erdal Duranaj were killed. After being stopped by Arab authorities, the police only blocked his passport, preventing him from leaving the United Arab Emirates, but not extraditing him to Albania.
There were arrests in Dubai a year ago. In February, Dritan Shkëmbi, also known as Amar, was accused of being involved in the assassination of prosecutor Ndoja in November 2019. For the same event, Julian Meçe was also arrested in Dubai, but none of them were extradited to Albania.