Monday, February 13, 2017

Convicted killer who escaped to the UK from a 20-year jail term in Albania is now back in Britain and running a car wash in Leicester after being deported in 2009


  • Convicted killer Selami Cokaj, 43, was kicked out of Britain in 2009
  • He was convicted of stabbing a man to death in 1994, but escaped just three years into his 20 year sentence and fled to Britain
  • But he is now said to be back living with his family in a detached house in Oadby, Leicestershire, and running a local car wash firm
A deported Albanian murderer has snuck back into the UK and is running a car wash in Leicester.
Convicted killer Selami Cokaj, 43, was kicked out of Britain in 2009 after officials discovered he had escaped from jail in Albania.
He was convicted of stabbing a man to death in 1994, but escaped just three years into his 20 year sentence and fled to Britain.
But he is now said to be back living with his family in a detached house in Oadby, Leicestershire, and running a local car wash firm.
Convicted murderer Selami Cokaj, an Albanian who escaped from jail in his homeland in 1997, is now back in the UK and running a car wash in Albania 
Convicted murderer Selami Cokaj, an Albanian who escaped from jail in his homeland in 1997, is now back in the UK and running a car wash in Albania 
Incredibly, he is living under his real name – despite being known to authorities, the Sun reported last night.
It is unclear how Cokaj reportedly managed to slip past border forces, as rules state any foreign nationals who serve more than four years in jail are banned from the UK.
Cokaj was on Interpol's most wanted list when he was discovered living in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in 2006
Cokaj was on Interpol's most wanted list when he was discovered living in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in 2006
Cokaj was on Interpol's most wanted list when he was discovered living in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in 2006. He was found running a similar car washing company and making £40,000 a year.
He was arrested twice but was later freed on bail by magistrates.
The killer then lodged a last-minute asylum claim, which strung out the process for three-years. Appeals were heard in the High Court and House of Lords.
In December 2009 he was finally put on a plane at Stanstead Airport and sent back to Albania.
He first arrived in 1997, posing as a refugee from Kosovo, under the alias Valton Gashi.
Tory MP Philip Davies said: 'It's quite extraordinary this man could ever have got back into the UK.
'It shows how weak our border controls are.
'It makes you wonder how many other foreign criminals have sneaked back in.' 
A source told the Sun: 'He should have been picked up by Border Force when he entered the country. The fact he wasn't suggests maybe he arrived clandestinely or didn't disclose the conviction.'
Cokaj is listed as owner of this £40,000-a-year car wash in Oadby on Companies House
Cokaj is now said to be back living with his family in a detached house in Oadby, Leicestershire
Cokaj is now said to be back living with his family in a detached house in Oadby, Leicestershire
Speaking in 2009, Pellumb Seferi, the head of Interpol in Tirana said: 'Selami Cokaj is one of the most wanted people in Albania because he committed homicide and armed robbery.'
In January, it was revealed a convicted murderer from the Netherlands had been able to walk through Britain's borders without any checks. Afghan-born Jamshid Piruz, 34, went on to attack two police officers with a claw hammer.
He had previously been sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing his female tenant after watching a Taliban beheading video.
Politicians called for Home Secretary Amber Rudd to introduce a tougher US-style warning system, to flag up any previous convictions when a person tries to enter the country.
It is understood Theresa May's 'deport first, appeal later' system has brought the number down. While 356 foreign criminals won their human rights appeal in 2012/13, the number was down to 11 in 2015. 
A Home Office spokesman said: 'This Government puts the safety of our families, communities and country first. That's why we've taken action like introduce 'deport first appeal later' to stop this kind of thing happening'.


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