The Telegraph has dedicated an article to the arrest of Sokol Hoxha in the US after 30 years on the run. The murderer Sokol Hoxha, who obtained a British passport after fleeing Belgium and Albania, has been arrested in the US after decades of evasion. An Albanian triple murderer, who was granted asylum and citizenship in the UK while on the run, has been captured in the US.
Sokol Hoxha, 50, fled continental Europe for Britain after killing his 19-year-old wife in 1997 in Belgium and two brothers in Albania the same year.
He came to Britain using a false identity, claiming to be a Kosovar refugee, which allowed him to seek asylum and later gain British citizenship.
A six-year police manhunt spanning two continents culminated in the arrest of Hoxha, who had been the subject of two INTERPOL notices for the three murders. He was captured in Kettering, Ohio.
A spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service said: “Hoxha’s arrest marked the conclusion of a six-year investigation into the fugitive, led by Interpol Washington in coordination with multiple domestic and international law enforcement partners.”
“During the investigation, authorities determined that Hoxha obtained a false identity after leaving Belgium and then obtained citizenship in another European country under a false identity. He later entered the U.S. and obtained permanent resident status, continuing to conceal his true identity.”
The Telegraph reports that the UK had granted Hoxha asylum using his false identity. He entered the US in 2012, using the same alias to hide his identity for another 14 years.
The spokesperson added: “Hoxha’s case demonstrates the importance of international law enforcement cooperation in bringing a convicted murderer to justice after nearly 30 years on the run. It also underscores that the U.S. will not serve as a safe haven for foreign criminals who use false identities to evade justice.”
Hoxha was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison for the murder of two brothers in Patos, Albania. He is also suspected of killing his 19-year-old wife after she refused his request to become a prostitute in Belgium.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) and the British Home Office have been involved in the six-year investigation, helping to track his movements and immigration status while in Britain.
The Telegraph also cites other similar cases of people who have entered the UK with false identities and obtained asylum or citizenship, including individuals convicted of murder and serious crimes.
