Albanian Criminal Claims Assassins Will 'Finish Job' If He Is Extradited From UK
An Albanian criminal with a lengthy record should not be returned to his homeland to face justice because assassins who previously attempted to murder him will return to 'finish the job', a British court has been told. Irfan Azizi, 36, detailed a narrow escape during an extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, stating he was shot at approximately thirty times during a targeted hit in November 2020, which forced him to flee to Britain.
Claims of Powerful Crime Group and Judicial Corruption
Azizi asserted that the criminal organisation responsible for the attempt on his life 'also carries out hits for judges and politicians' and would seek lethal revenge if he is sent back to Albania. The serial offender, who is currently claiming asylum in the United Kingdom alongside his wife, revealed a bizarre admission during proceedings. He confessed to having already paid an Albanian judge to dismiss a case against him, suggesting this payment should nullify his wanted status.
Azizi told the court: 'This is the method you pay money to close the case. I did not cheat, I corrupted. If there is a prison sentence and if you want it to be eliminated you pay.'
Detailed Account of Violent Assassination Attempt
The violent incident occurred on November 29, 2020, outside a petrol station. Azizi described seeing a vehicle pull up before a gunman armed with a Kalashnikov leapt out and opened fire. 'They started shooting at me, around 30 bullets,' he testified. 'A bullet smashed my hand which shattered in 13 places.' He fled Albania by bus five weeks later, arriving in Britain shortly thereafter.
Albanian media has widely reported the organiser of the hit as Talo Çela, a former close friend of Azizi who is now one of Albania's most wanted criminals. Çela is alleged to have connections to the Çopja crime gang, a major supplier of cocaine to London.
Extensive Criminal History Across Two Nations
The court heard that Azizi is wanted in Albania to serve a one-year prison sentence after being convicted in absentia for possessing a mobile phone while on remand for other offences. His criminal record includes:
- Involvement in illegal gambling rackets in Albania.
- A two-year imprisonment sentence for theft in February 2019.
- An additional jail term of two years and three months in June 2019 for stealing a Mercedes-Benz B-Class, though he was free just five months later.
- A six-month jail sentence at Swindon Crown Court in April 2025 for possessing a fake German driving license, alongside another Albanian man.
Asylum Claim and Taxpayer-Funded Accommodation
After initially staying with friends and a cousin, Azizi moved to Sheffield in September 2021, where his wife joined him. The couple subsequently claimed asylum on grounds of fearing persecution in Albania. They were placed in a taxpayer-funded asylum hotel in Wiltshire before being relocated to their current accommodation in Taunton with their four children, who receive specialist support from the local council.
Azizi portrayed himself as a former 'rich businessman' in Albania, owning three petrol stations, car washes, and a cafe bar. He insisted he would cooperate with the investigation into his attempted murder and return to Albania to testify, but only if the main suspect is found and charged, claiming he has already provided a full statement to Albanian prosecutors.
Prosecution Challenges and Fears for Family Safety
During cross-examination, prosecutor Mr. Ball suggested Azizi was exaggerating the capabilities of the crime group, noting there had been no threats against him during his five years in the UK, nor against his wife and children before they left Albania. 'If you think this group is so powerful, why do you think you have not been threatened since?' Mr. Ball asked.
Azizi responded: 'These men have done killings for the Prime Minister by his order and also the Minister of the Interior. I have evidence. They don't warn you when they will kill you, they just come for you.' He expressed fear for his family's safety, stating, 'If I go to Albania they will kill me and, in order to not, I will have to kill them and I don't want to commit any crime by defending myself.'
The court acknowledged that extradition would have a devastating impact on Azizi's wife, though Mr. Ball argued they face deportation anyway if their asylum claim fails. The hearing continues as the court deliberates on this complex international case.
