Allegations have surfaced against two Albanian siblings for orchestrating a substantial drug operation worth £335 million from a car wash establishment in Bournemouth. Klevis Hoxhosmani, 37, and Artur Hoxhosmani, 42, were reportedly part of a major drug-smuggling network in Europe, where they trafficked cocaine to sustain their extravagant lifestyle.
The brothers were apprehended in August following their extravagant spending on items like yachts, luxury cars, and upscale residences. Reports suggest that around 16 individuals were connected to their illicit activities. Neighbors in Dorset labeled the siblings as problematic, especially highlighting Klevis’s relationship with the daughter of a former Albanian minister, showcasing their opulence on social media platforms with trips to various affluent destinations.
The alleged drug trafficking organization utilized various concealment methods, such as concealing cocaine within cocoa bean, banana, and timber shipments, which were then transported through European ports using legitimate transportation companies. They employed the Hawala money transfer system to evade detection, a method that was eventually uncovered by Albanian authorities in 2022.
The siblings own a collection of luxurious properties in Albania’s capital, Tirana, and along the thriving Ionian coast, in addition to managing three businesses in Bournemouth under Klevis Hoxhosmani’s name. However, their criminal enterprise is facing scrutiny from Albania’s Special Structure against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK), which has seized assets like yachts, high-end vehicles, and other possessions from the brothers.
Albanian prosecutors have accused the siblings of involvement in a significant drug shipment seized in France in 2020 and revealed their use of encrypted messages on the ‘Sky ECC’ platform. The narcotics were allegedly disguised within everyday goods like cocoa beans and bananas to avoid detection during transportation.
Klevis and Artur made a recent court appearance in Tirana and are currently in custody awaiting trial. Investigations suggest that the duo established themselves in Bournemouth around 2013, with Klevis listed as the director of a local car wash. The prosecutors suspect the brothers collaborated with corrupt port officials to smuggle cocaine from South American countries like Ecuador and Colombia into the UK through various European routes.
Efforts to combat the criminal activities involve collaboration between Albanian and UK law enforcement agencies to address the cross-border drug trafficking. Albanian prosecutors hailed the success of the investigation, attributing it to robust inter-institutional and international cooperation.