A criminal organization led by an Albanian fugitive was dismantled in Alicante after a long manhunt that spanned decades. The operation, disclosed today by the National Police, centers on a 52-year-old man identified as Lulzim B., who was sought for extradition to serve the remaining six years of a prior sentence and to answer charges in Albania for crimes tied to a sprawling network.
In addition to the extradition demand, the suspect faces accusations of being an accessory to a double murder committed in 2005 in an Albanian city. The Interpol red notice describes a pattern of violence linked to the organization, indicating that the individual who killed a businessman and his bodyguard is considered an accomplice in another shooting that targeted a third person.
Police reports depict Lulzim B. as one of Albania’s most wanted fugitives and note his arrest occurred within the framework of the ENFAST network, the European Fugitive Search Teams collaboration. The fugitive, who is said to have started his leadership of the organization in the early 1990s, allegedly took the name from the city of Durrës as a symbol of control and loyalty claimed by the group. The organization has been described as a major exporter of cocaine and weapons within the country.
Authorities clarified that the detainee was wanted for the murder of two individuals who were casualties of rival clan conflicts. Interpol’s file against Lulzim B. also alleges that he organized the murder of an Albanian who had been associated in the same organization and had become a rival in the criminal faction. Police sources and Interpol notice attribution
elevator explosion
Interrogators consider him an accomplice in the killing of a businessperson in Durrës, along with a boxing federation president and his bodyguard. Albanian press reports state that both the businessman and the bodyguard were lured to the building elevator, where a bomb was activated with a remote control as the businessman arrived home.
In 2012, a verdict from an Albanian court sentenced sixteen members of the organization to prison, including four life terms. The remaining defendants were convicted on charges of murder, extortion, and kidnapping, with cumulative sentences totaling over two centuries. Albanian authorities stressed the urgency of locating this individual, and after intelligence suggested a possible presence along the Levantine coast, a dedicated search operation was launched.
Investigators patrolled the Alicante region for weeks, eventually locating an apartment in PAU 5 in Playa de San Juan where the fugitive was believed to be hiding. While undercover surveillance continued around the housing complex, officials identified another member of the organization who appeared to be arranging a handoff to move the fugitive. In a coordinated effort, authorities moved in and arrested the suspect.
The detainee was brought to the courthouse and placed in custody as extradition to Albania was debated. The case has been managed by national authorities in collaboration with international partners as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the network and prosecute those involved across borders.