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| Haredin Fejzulla |
"Drug trafficker Haredin Fejzulla is on Europol's list as one of the most wanted criminals in Europe. The request was made by Belgian authorities, who had previously sought help from European authorities to arrest the 58-year-old Albanian, as reported by foreign media.
Haredin Fejzulla caught the attention of investigators in the summer of 2013. Brussels police stopped a car during a routine check on August 29. Inside the vehicle were four Albanians: Leonard Z., a man who would later be identified as the leader of the Albanian gang, his loyal accomplice Fejzulla, and two others. Additionally, investigators found 108 grams of cannabis in the car, prompting authorities to further investigate the passengers, leading to the discovery of 22 cannabis plantations by the police, Belgian media reports.
Fejzulla's gang had devised a unique way to conceal these plantations. They signed false rental contracts, thus controlling the rental market. Without the landlords' knowledge, they set up cannabis plantations in these houses.
A trial in 2021 against Fejzulla revealed that 13 of the plantations generated around four million euros, which is believed to have been reinvested by the gang.
Haredin Fejzulla was born in Albania but had lived in Belgium for a long time. His entire family was involved in the organization. His 31-year-old son was also sentenced to 3 years in prison as a logistics assistant and guardian of the plantations.
Fejzulla himself has been on the run since September 22, 2014. Since then, he has not been seen in Belgium by the police. Fejzulla often presented himself as Greek and used Greek pseudonyms such as 'Spiros,' 'Robotis Postolis,' or 'Vasileios Samaras.'
The Belgian court has sentenced him three times in absentia for drug trafficking and leading a criminal organization. He now faces a total of 18 years in prison, and the police have confiscated 1,365,000 euros.
It is now suspected that Fejzulla has relocated outside Belgium and operates from other European countries. The Belgian Federal Police's Active Fugitive Search Team (FAST) is actively tracking the Albanian and has officially placed him on Europe's most wanted list this weekend.