In a shocking incident, four men who kidnapped an Italian man over an alleged drug debt were sentenced to jail following a thorough probe by the Met Police’s Flying Squad.
The unfortunate victim, an Italian in his 30s, underwent a 36-hour ordeal, held captive in a Cricklewood flat, northwest London. The incident began when he was enticed into a bar earlier in February. While confined, he was compelled to contact his former partner and acquaintances, asking them to produce £110,000, an amount believed to be tied to a £40,000 drug debt that a friend owed.
Authorities intervened on 18 February, only to discover the victim in a dire state with multiple stab wounds, bruises, and abrasions. Subsequent analysis of mobile phone recordings revealed heart-wrenching footage of the victim pleading for his life.
The perpetrators, Ervis Ademi, Xhekson Malollari, Mariglen Elezi, and Hydajet Kadriu, have been handed their prison terms. Malollari and Elezi faced additional charges, with the former convicted of conspiracy to kidnap and the latter for possessing cocaine.
The abduction unfolded after two individuals lured the victim to a Cricklewood Broadway bar, allegedly discussing the drug debt. The trio was later ambushed on Richborough Street by two masked men who subsequently forced the victim into a vehicle and relocated him to a flat on Dean Road, where he sustained injuries during the altercation.
Upon the victim’s pleas for the ransom, the police were alerted and started their surveillance on the said flat. In a subsequent raid, while Malollari and Elezi were apprehended inside the flat, Ademi and Kadriu were detained outside.
Evidence collected post-arrest included balaclavas, bloodied tissues, mobile phones, and car keys linked to the crime scene. Moreover, footage from the bar’s CCTV identified Malollari meeting the victim. Additional evidence was sourced from a nearby business’s surveillance, displaying the involved car at both the kidnap location and parked outside the flat. The phones confiscated bore incriminating content, with one recording displaying the injured victim discussing the ransom and imploring for mercy.
The Amersham Crown Court declared the sentences on 22 September, with Ademi and Malollari receiving 10 years each, while Elezi and Kadriu each got four years.
