FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
On the evening of April 10, 2012, the body of a man was found burned inside a car near Southampton, United Kingdom. Police were able to quickly identify the victim, who was Albanian Agim Hoxha, 29 years old. Forensic analysis revealed that he had been fatally struck in the head with a metal object and then put in a car where the perpetrators had set him on fire, burning him to death.
In this apartment where he lived, although it had been cleaned by the perpetrators of the incident, the Police found traces of blood and a metal rod, with which it was suspected that the young man had been hit.
British police stated at the time that the exact motive for Agim Hoxha's murder was unknown, but believed that he was killed in an apartment in Shirley Road, Southampton for drug issues. Post-mortem analyses revealed that he had died before the car caught fire, as no smoke was found in his lungs.
Police officers also found £42,000 hidden in one of his two cars after his death. The box was filled with banknotes and was hidden in the boot of a second car, a grey Ford Mondeo, belonging to Agim Hoxha. Inside, a quantity of cocaine and heroin was also found.
By analysing security camera footage from several of the areas where the victim's car had been, the police were able to identify the perpetrator. It was Arben Lleshi, then 27, who was actually a childhood friend of the victim. They were even suspected of carrying out illegal drug activities together, until their relationship broke down, according to the British Competition Police.
Arben Lleshi was under investigation for several weeks. The incident was even widely covered by the British media, which published photographs of him taken a few days after the crime, drinking champagne and enjoying a sumptuous meal in a five-star hotel. He seemed to be living a life of luxury. Smiling, happy in front of the camera with a girl he had just met online, Arben Lleshi was enjoying life without a trace of worry on his face about what he had just done.
But behind this facade was a murderer who had fled Southampton for Albania, with thousands of pounds in his pocket, which he suspected he had taken from the friend he had brutally murdered and whose body he had burned in his car.
In February 2013, Arben Lleshi began a life sentence that would have required him to spend at least 32 years behind bars after being found guilty of the murder of Agim Hoxha.
The decision was the result of detectives who had spent ten months working hard to solve a complex and difficult murder, which involved an unidentified body, a killer who had fled the UK to a country without an extradition treaty. But also a victim who was a high-level drug trafficker who had never crossed their radar and a crime scene that could not initially be found. The search to capture Arben Lleshi took detectives on a journey thousands of miles away, and it was a combination of clever police work and the shocking arrogance of Arben, who believed he was untouchable, that led to his capture.
British media
It was Friday 13 April 2012 when gambler and drug addict Arben Lleshi fled to Albania after buying a return ticket in cash from a Thomas Cook branch in Southampton. As a team of more than 100 police officers worked around the clock to try to solve the murder, it became clear that he and his neighbour were the main suspects. But although they quickly realised that Agim Hoxha had been murdered before his body was burned, police were left baffled for almost two weeks as to where and how he had died due to the probing questions of a detective who led them to the flat at 285 Shirley Road. Inside, despite attempts to clean up the scene, they found traces of Agim's blood, while in a hidden place outside was the bar that was used to deliver the fatal blow to the head.
The neighbour who had helped the perpetrator was arrested, but just a month later, on 11 May 2012, Arben Lleshi was caught in Rome. He had been stopped on a flight from Albania to the UK. He had been arrested in his home country in front of confused passengers and had not contested extradition proceedings, resulting in him being returned in handcuffs, escorted by Hampshire officers, to be charged with murder. The inspector leading the investigation said they had no choice but to send detectives to Rome, as they were not sure whether Arben Lleshi would ever return of his own accord. The inspector said they could not go to Albania, so the only option was to wait until he got on the plane and then act. However, if he had chosen to stay there, they would have lost him. If Arben Lleshi had got off the plane in Rome, he could have disappeared forever.
Following the sentencing, there was a statement in the British media from the family of the victim, Agim Hoxha, who said they were waiting for justice to be served.
Family statement
What our family wanted was justice for Agim's murder. Justice to be served. We thank Hampshire Police for the professionalism and support they have shown throughout this investigation. Agim's death has left a huge void in the hearts and lives of his mother, father, his family in Albania and close relatives in the UK.
Agim was a good and loving son, brother and best friend to all. All who knew him considered him an extraordinary person, full of kindness and warmth and regardless of what he was involved in, he did not deserve to have his life taken in such a way or at such a young age./ GjiratTona
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