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London/ How the two Albanian brothers who ran the drug network from the barber shop were discovered

2023-11-26 14:35:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

London/ How the two Albanian brothers who ran the drug network from the barber

Police photo

Two Albanian brothers have been arrested in London after being involved in the drug trade.

"The Sun" writes that the brothers were arrested in an environment that seemed to function like a normal barbershop. Edmond and Eduard Haziri lived a life of luxury as they drove luxury cars, wore Rolex watches and dressed in Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Moncler.

"From the outside it looked like any normal barbershop. Nestled between a charity shop and a used car dealership, CSG Barbers promised shaves and haircuts. But behind the darkened window and door lay a high-rolling casino where drug dealers and criminals bet tens of thousands of pounds while being served by beautiful waitresses. The illegal pit was discovered by cops who nailed two cocaine-using Albanian brothers from South East London in the Midlands. The pair made up to £4,000 A DAY with a network of Romanian drug runners supplying Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire. The drugs were delivered to up to 145 users each day, often folded into Lottery tickets. "The Sun" was able to uncover the full story of how police brought down the criminal empire of Edmund and Eduard Haziri - going through around 1.2 MILLION texts, WhatsApp messages and phone calls" - reads the article of "The Sun".

The article states that their family members, the women, wore Christian Louboutin and Valentino shoes, while their children wore expensive clothing.

"Edmund, 36, owned a shiny gold chain studded with 30 carats of diamonds. He and Eduard, 34, asked their Albanian cousin Gazmend Hoxha, 47, and an old school friend, Alban Krasniqi, 34, to act as intermediaries for the "Eddie Line" - named after a car wash that the father theirs used to lead" - the article says.

During the action, the police found memory cards but were unable to secure the main phone used to receive orders. A dog came to the aid of police who found an iPhone in a neighbor's garden after Krasniqi threw it out the window. Officers knew the brothers were big players in the drugs market – but they didn't know they were also running an illegal casino.

Detective Constable Kane Martin, of Derbyshire Police, who led the operation, said he went to look for a haircut because the place had raised suspicions at first glance.

“To the passing eye you wouldn't know what was going on inside, but I don't think you would. I went for a haircut because it was definitely not a place for a haircut. The basement poker pit was managed and operated by Edmund. It was an advanced and expensive structure. The front door looks like nothing, but then associates go through a CCTV holding area before being allowed through a door and down into the casino. We presented evidence in court of some really high-stakes games at the poker and blackjack tables, with tens of thousands wagered while waitresses served drinks.” - said the police officer.

Media reports that Edmond's Mercedes-driving brother, Eduardo, managed the D'Angelo family-run bistro in Orpington's High Street. This place was also a key meeting place for the relative of the brothers based in Leicester.

CCTV footage taken by police showed the criminals counting some money in the kitchen before putting it in envelopes. The brothers' parents both worked in the family business, but they faced no charges.

"A runner met him every day and he supplied drugs to the customers. We identified up to five separate runners operating on any given day and there were more than 20. Two were Romanian. In February 2022 we believe they reached up to £4,000 in one day. Krasniqi was the backbone of the operation group and he ran the Eddie Line. In the area, it was well known for the supply of high-quality cocaine by Albanians, "said the head of this operation.

As part of the operation, 1.2 million telecommunications data lines and more than 45 different telephone numbers will have to be examined.

The police trail began in early 2020 after a PCSO spotted a driver acting suspiciously in the West Lincote area of ??Derbyshire. Surveillance and traffic stops linked the network to the brothers. Police launched a series of raids in March last year.

Nine people were jailed for a total of around 70 years for their roles in the enterprise, including the brothers, Edmond was sentenced to 15 years and Edward to 15 years and six months.

Hoxha was sentenced to 11 years while Krasniqi was sentenced to 9 years.

According to "The Sun", the police are tracking Albanian traffickers as they attract attention and have become synonymous with wonderful music videos on social networks, where they pose with fistfuls of money, jewelry and expensive cars./ CNA