Allegations have surfaced against two Albanian siblings, accusing them of constructing a drug empire worth £335 million within a car wash establishment in Bournemouth. Klevis Hoxhosmani, aged 37, and his brother Artur Hoxhosmani, aged 42, were allegedly involved in a significant drug-smuggling network in Europe, engaged in trafficking cocaine to sustain their extravagant lifestyle. The brothers were apprehended in August after indulging in lavish expenditures on items such as a yacht, luxury cars, and upscale residences, with approximately 16 accomplices reportedly linked to their illicit activities.
Neighbors residing near the Hoxhosmani brothers in Dorset have labeled them as troublesome individuals. Klevis, the younger sibling, is said to be romantically involved with the daughter of a former Albanian minister, frequently showcasing their opulence on social media platforms. The drug trafficking scheme purportedly involved concealing cocaine within shipments of cocoa beans, bananas, and timber, utilizing legitimate trucking companies to transport the contraband across European ports and land routes.
To evade detection, the accused brothers allegedly employed the Hawala money transfer system, a traditional method of currency movement outside conventional banking channels. However, Albanian authorities uncovered this system in 2022. The duo possesses a collection of luxurious properties in Albania’s capital, Tirana, and along the thriving Ionian coastline, in addition to managing three businesses in Bournemouth under Klevis Hoxhosmani’s name.
Nevertheless, the siblings’ alleged criminal enterprise is facing scrutiny from Albania’s Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), which is conducting a probe into the legitimacy of their wealth. SPAK has already confiscated a yacht and a fleet of high-end vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz valued at over £140,000, along with three firearms, two luxury watches, multiple mobile phones, and bank cards from the group. Prosecutors in Albania have linked the pan-European crime syndicate to a 250kg cocaine seizure in France in April 2020, suspected to be destined for the UK.
The accused individuals communicated through encrypted messages on the ‘Sky ECC’ platform, expressing surprise when law enforcement intercepted a lucrative drug shipment. Prosecutors allege that everyday goods like cocoa beans and bananas were utilized to conceal the narcotics within legitimate shipments, transported innocuously through ports in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and the UK. Klevis and Artur faced legal proceedings in Tirana recently and have been detained pending a full trial.
Artur arrived in the UK in 1999, with his younger brother Klevis following suit in subsequent years. Investigations suggest that by 2013, they had settled in Bournemouth, where Klevis was associated with the Crystal Hand Carwash. Klevis was previously convicted of assaulting a woman in 2014, receiving a community order and a compensation order as a consequence.
Prosecutors involved in the case suspect that the siblings leveraged corrupt connections with port officials to traffic cocaine from Ecuador and Colombia through various European routes into the UK. The UK’s National Crime Agency is believed to be collaborating with Albanian authorities as part of a broader crackdown across Europe. Albanian prosecutors commended the collaborative efforts that led to the successful investigation, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in combating organized crime.
