Italian man held after deadly shootout has shady past with organized crime, according to reports
TIRANA, May 31 – More details have become public about a bloody shootout in downtown Tirana that left three dead last week, with growing evidence that the killings came as result of a clash between two rival groups involved in international drug trafficking.
Revenge for a previous murder in the Netherlands and missing drugs, were also possible motives, investigators told the media.
In addition to several Albanians involved, an Italian citizen with alleged links to organized crime is among those police arrested on the scene and is currently in detention.
Salvatore Letizia, 34, a native of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, in the province of Caserta, was arrested after trying to flee the shooting area.
Italian media reports noted investigators in the neighboring country suspect he is linked to the Camorra.
He had one of the victims’ photo in his pockets, local media reported, leading police to believe he might have been a hired gun.
Police believe one the men involved, Besnik Sulku had arranged the killing of Mentor Lufi, who was accompanied by three other people.
Both Sulku and Lufi died in the shootout. Both men had others with them when the attack happened.
Lufi and Sulku had been friends before, but had fallen out over the drug business and the execution in the Netherlands of Sulku’s brother.
The Italian man was arrested a few minutes after the shooting. Albanian police seized a weapon Letizia had used in the shooting and a photo of the primary target, Sulku.
