Albanian gangster Bekim Halilaj

The discovery of Albanian gangster Bekim Halilaj’s body hanging from a road sign in Brussels signifies escalating violence within Albanian gangs, influenced by Mexican cartel tactics. Halilaj was involved in smuggling cocaine through Southampton and was executed for a lost drug shipment. Halilaj had previously been sentenced to 7 years in prison in the UK in 2017. He was caught along with three others trafficking cocaine worth over £4m in Southampton. Authorities cracked down on the group, which included Nuri Mucmataj, Fitim Halilaj and Tamas Hela.

The gang was bringing the drugs from Essex and distributing it on the streets of Southampton. The leader of the group was captured 2 years later in Belgium and extradited to England. The cocaine was high quality, with a purity of up to 91%. All were in the country illegally and were using false identities.

According to Albanian media, Bekim Halilaj was kidnapped, executed, and left displayed as a warning to others in the underworld. He may have been executed and strung up for symbolism in an act similar to that of Mexican cartels. Its a message to adversaries in the drug trade, but also as an example to authorities. He was hanging in the EU capital for hours, with people initially thinking it was a Halloween decoration.