Drug dealing, fierce conflicts between criminal groups and the fight for territorial control are the main tracks on which the Greek authorities are focusing their investigations into the murder of 49-year-old Albanian Jani Aliaj in Koridhalos Prison. Aliaj, sentenced to life imprisonment and with a serious criminal past, was killed with an improvised knife inside his cell.
However, investigators do not rule out the revenge scenario, due to the extensive criminal activity of the victim, who operated under two identities and was known in the criminal world by the nickname "Xheku".
According to investigative sources, suspicions have been strengthened by the fact that Aliaj had been released from prison some time ago and returned to his cell in 2024 after being rearrested. This move is suspected of inciting new conflicts inside and outside prison.
The deceased had serious convictions in both Greece and Albania for murder and drug trafficking. Greek media, including “Protothema”, report that there may have been a “death contract” against him, while the suspected perpetrator, a 28-year-old Greek convicted of two murders, is suspected of having been ordered to execute him inside prison.
What is known about the crime in Korydhalos?
The serious incident took place in the 3rd Wing of the largest prison in Greece. The perpetrator, a 28-year-old Greek, attacked Aliaj with an improvised cold weapon, causing fatal injuries. The investigation is being conducted by the Piraeus Security, while the track of a contract killing is increasingly being consolidated.
The victim's criminal past
Jani Aliaj was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment in Albania for the murder of Elton Çiço in 2016, and international arrest warrants were also active against him. He is also suspected of being involved in another murder in Tepelena in 2005. According to investigators, Aliaj was part of a criminal gang in southern Albania involved in drug trafficking.
Author profile
The suspected perpetrator, a 28-year-old Greek, has two murders on his record. The first occurred a few months ago in the Agios Panteleimonas area, where he executed Artur Bashimi, an Albanian citizen with a history of robbery and theft, with a firearm. The second murder occurred on January 19 inside the Koridhalos Prison.
Drugs and the "death contract"
According to police information, it is believed that the murder of the 49-year-old was ordered by another Albanian convict, who allegedly paid the perpetrator to eliminate Aliaj. Drug trafficking in Athens and clashes for control of the market are considered the strongest motive for the crime.
Authorities are investigating whether the victim's temporary release and his return to prison were key points that led to his execution, opening another dark chapter in the underground war between criminal groups.
