Shkodër/ ‘Godfather’ Bardhok Planaj killed in assassination, with criminal past and political connections

05/04/2021 15:12

Bardhok Planaj, known in the northern city of Shkodra as “The Godfather” because of his criminal past was killed on Sunday evening. The event took place in the “Dobraç” neighborhood, a few meters away from his home.

Police said that for the assassination the victim was followed for about 150 meters and at one point the killers walked parallel to him while shooting.

About 30 bullets were found in the victim’s body after forensic examination. Near the scene where Planaj was executed, a burnt car was found inside which were found and 2 firearms,suspected to belong to the perpetrators.

Planaj was known in Shkodra after being sentenced in absentia in 2014 by the Shkodra District Court for three criminal offenses: “Money laundering”, “Forgery of documents” and “Illegal construction”.

Planaj was also listed by the police as a person involved in drug trafficking. The 46-year-old is suspected as the object of the anti-drug operation “Viluni Lagoon”, conducted on September 30, 2014, in the location called “Rana e Hedhun”, between Viluni Lagoon and Shengjin, where the border police services and those of the Guardia di Finanza, saw being thrown from a boat large black bags believed to be drugs.

In that occasion Planaj managed to escape arrest and allegedly hid in the vehicle of former MP Mark Frroku, who has denied such a thing.

At that time, the opposition accused that the deputy Frroku hid Planaj in his car and, taking advantage of his immunity as a deputy, escaped the police checks. In December 2018, Planaj was arrested by the Shkodra Police after being accused of money laundering, forgery of documents and illegal construction. He was accused of illegally building a 10-storey building with money allegedly stemming from criminal activities.

This building at that time was worth 2 million Euros. Planaj was seized by the authorities 20 properties, apartments, businesses, land, cars, etc., mainly in the “Dobraç” neighborhood of Shkodra.

Top Channel

DIGITALB DIGITALB - OFERTA