In Alicante, an international manhunt took another turn yesterday as a wanted figure described by Albanian authorities as highly dangerous was seized by Spanish police. The man, once linked to a violent network in Albania, drew attention for the marked contrast between the image circulated by media outlets and the real profile of a person facing serious criminal charges. The individual appeared to many observers more like a tourist enjoying the Costa Blanca than a former gang leader believed to have orchestrated a series of killings. The stakes were high, and the case unfolded with cross border cooperation between Albanian and Spanish law enforcement agencies.
A 52-year-old named Lulzim B. was located at PAU 5 in San Juan Beach during an operation conducted by Organised Crime Group I, in cooperation with the Alicante Provincial Judicial Police Brigade and the Illegal Location Group from the General Commissariat of the Judicial Police in Madrid. The fugitive was found after Albanian authorities alerted Spanish counterparts that the individual sought for extradition might be hiding in Alicante and was suspected of using Bulgarian documents to conceal his location.
After the arrest, the suspect was transported to Madrid, and arrangements were made for him to be placed before the central educational court under guard of the National Audience. The legal process aims to determine the appropriate next steps in the extradition procedure. Legal representatives for the suspect have been identified, including Francisco Miguel Galiana Botella and José Manuel Alamán Aragonés. People close to the case indicate that Lulzim B. plans to challenge the extradition to Albania.
Life imprisonment sentence abolished
Multiple Albanian media outlets reported that Lulzim led a criminal gang operating in Durrës. He and several accomplices were tried for a series of violent crimes, including a number of murders. The record shows an arrest in Macedonia occurred in April 2006, followed by a health-related parole in 2016 after the Albanian Supreme Court voided the original life sentence and set aside a 25-year term. The developments appeared to reflect shifts in how the case was legally resolved within Albania and the broader region.
Post release, fresh evidence tied the individual to other offenses, as reported by Albanian media. The sequence of events described includes initial arrest orders, imprisonment, and ultimately a flight from the country. The latest chapter began with a renewed inquiry that led authorities to Alicante, where the person was traced and apprehended. The case underscores the ongoing complexities of cross border criminal proceedings and the challenges of extradition across jurisdictions.