The police have revealed the dynamics of the serious incident that occurred in the early hours of this morning, August 18, at the “Principote” bar in Ksamil, where 20-year-old Portuguese tourist Luis Miguel Varela Mendes was murdered by Sokrat Vata.
11 people have been arrested, while two others are wanted. The perpetrator was arrested by police in Levan, Fier, in the trunk of a vehicle driven by Turkish citizen EP, 31 years old, while the passenger was citizen NM, 38 years old, also Turkish. They had hidden him in the car with the intention of transporting him to Tirana.
Police Announcement:
Intensive investigative actions with special investigation methods, carried out by the investigative structures of the Vlora Local Police Directorate and the Saranda Police Commissariat, under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Saranda, for the full legal documentation of the murder of the 20-year-old Portuguese man, this morning in Ksamil.
11 citizens arrested and two others wanted
Following the actions to clarify the circumstances, legal documentation, capture and arrest the perpetrator, as well as other persons involved in the murder of the 20-year-old Portuguese man, this morning in Ksamil, Saranda, we inform you that:
As a result of rapid professional and investigative actions, in cooperation with the Prosecution, as well as the coordination of work between the Saranda Police Commissariat, the Vlora Local Police Directorate and the Fier Local Police Directorate, this morning, in Levan, Fier, the suspected perpetrator of the murder, citizen SL, alias SV, 29 years old, was caught in the trunk of a vehicle.
This citizen was traveling in the trunk of a vehicle driven by citizen EP, 31 years old, and passenger citizen NM, 38 years old, both with Turkish citizenship, who were acquainted with the perpetrator and had hidden him in the car, with the intention of transporting him to Tirana.
As part of the actions for the full legal documentation of the murder of the 20-year-old, 41 citizens were escorted to the Saranda Police Station.
At the end of the first investigative actions, the following citizens were arrested in flagrante delicto:
SL, alias SV, 29 years old, resident of the village of Helshan, Has;
NM, 38 years old, and EP, 31 years old, both with Turkish citizenship;
SS, 24 years old, resident of Ersekë;
EB, 24 years old, resident of Peshkopi;
IC, 21 years old, resident of Librazhd;
M. Zh., 27 years old, resident of Elbasan;
MM, 24 years old, resident of Gjirokastra;
LS, 44 years old, resident of Gjirokastra;
R. Sh., 35 years old, resident of Gjirokastra;
KK, 29 years old, resident of Gjirokastra.
Citizens DH, 29 years old, resident of Tirana, and BB, 36 years old, resident of Tirana, were also declared wanted.
The investigative actions result in the following:
At 05:15, on 18.08.2026, in the premises of the “Principote” bar and then on the beach of the “Paradise” bar, in Ksamil, during a conflict between several people, citizen SL, alias SV, is suspected of having struck the Portuguese foreign citizen LV, 20 years old, several times in the body with a cutting tool (knife). At the same time, citizen DH, already wanted, also punched the 20-year-old. Both of these citizens are accused of intentional murder, committed in collaboration.
While citizens SS, EB, M. Zh. and IC, who are waiters at the “Principote” bar, were involved in the above conflict, punching the 20-year-old, before citizen SV hit him with a cutting tool, and left the scene.
At the time of this event, in the “Principote” bar, citizens MM (DRKM Gjirokastër police officer), LS (Fier IEVP employee), R. Sh. (Gjirokastër Municipal Police employee) and KK were in the role of bodyguards, who had the role of security and did not intervene to prevent this event, which initially started in the premises of the “Principote” bar, and, after the event, did not notify the State Police authorities.
Also, at the time of this incident, the owner of the “Principote” bar, citizen BB, was also present in the premises, who, after the incident, left without reporting it to the relevant authorities.
The materials were referred to the Prosecutor’s Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Saranda for citizens SV and DH, for the criminal offense “Intentional Murder”, committed in collaboration; for citizens NM and EP, for the criminal offense “Supporting the perpetrator of the crime”; for citizens SS, EB, M. Zh., IC, LS, KK, BB and R. Sh., for the criminal offense “Failure to report a crime”; and for citizen MM, for the criminal offenses “Failure to report a crime” and “Failure to take measures to end the state of lawlessness”.