Albanian drug boss arrested at beach bar after years on run

Albanian police have arrested Moisi Habilaj, the convicted head of a drug trafficking group with links to Italy, after more than five years on the run.

Habilaj, 48, was detained at a beach bar in Borsh, on Albania’s southern coast, police said.

He is expected to be extradited to Italy, where a court in Catania sentenced him to more than 12 years in prison for taking part in an armed criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking.

Habilaj has also been convicted in Albania over cannabis trafficking by a structured criminal group in 2014 and 2015.

Police said another man was arrested during the operation, while a 70-year-old Italian citizen was placed under investigation for allegedly helping a fugitive.