Aurel Hoxhallari, also known as Altin Hoxhallari, has been arrested in Romania. He had been wanted since 2018 and was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (SCOC) for organizing the murder of Devi Kasmi.
According to authorities, Hoxhallari is expected to be extradited to Albania, where he will begin serving his sentence.
The January 29, 2018 murder
Devi Kasmi was shot dead on January 29, 2018, near his apartment on “Kongresi i Manastirit” street in Tirana. According to the investigations of the Special Prosecution Office, the assassination was organized and planned for months.
The role of the executioner was played by former Greek commando Efthimios Eftimiu, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment. Elton Halipaj, who provided the necessary means to carry out the murder, including the white van in which the perpetrators fled the scene, was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
The main evidence that led to the unraveling of the incident was the DNA traces of the Greek citizen found in the van, as well as the vehicle sales contract, which led to the identification of Elton Halipaj.
Aurel Hoxhallari’s role
According to the indictment and the decision of the Criminal Court of Kosovo of May 2023, Aurel Hoxhallari was the organizer and the orderer of the murder. He was found guilty of:
• Premeditated murder for profit, committed in collaboration and within the framework of a structured criminal group
• Possession and production of weapons without a permit
• Trafficking and production of narcotics
• Participation in a structured criminal group
The final combined sentence was life imprisonment. In July 2024, the GJKKO also decided to confiscate certain assets in his name and those associated with him.
Context of the case
Devi Kasmi had a criminal past and was suspected of involvement in international cocaine trafficking. In his apartment, immediately after the murder, the police found about 2.8 kilograms of cocaine and a firearm. Authorities linked the motive for the execution to conflicts between criminal groups involved in drug trafficking, although the exact motivation for the order has not been fully clarified.
Hoxhallari’s arrest in Romania closes a long chapter in the escape of one of the figures sentenced to life imprisonment in the files of organized crime in Albania.