The trio of suspects were suspected to have been involved in a string of burglaries at several homes on the Spanish island of Majorca with police recovering thousands of pounds worth of goods
Majorca: Armed police swarm house arresting alleged ‘violent robbers’
This is the moment heavily-armed police smash down doors to arrest a gang of alleged violent robbers who included a convicted killer kicked out of the UK after “serving a 17-year prison sentence for murder.”
Officers with battering rams held the 42-year-old Albanian and two other suspects during raids on three properties in Majorca, Spain. The trio are accused of carrying out a string of burglaries at homes on the island.
A safe taken during one of the raids as well as 50 watches, jewellery, mobile phones and nearly£3,000 were recovered by the Spanish Civil Guard during the operation. Well-placed sources identified the Albanian who had served time in jail in the UK as Robert Linadi.
A December 29 2004 BBC report named him as the man charged with the murder of a partygoer who was stabbed to death on Christmas night that year. He was described at the time as an unemployed 21-year-old from Stratford in East London.
Victim Xhevahir Demaj, of Wood Green, north London, was stabbed in the heart and lung at the Decorum banqueting hall in Wood Green. Linadi was arrested in Kent on Boxing Day 2004. It was not immediately clear today when he had been released from prison in Britain or kicked out of the country.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Majorca, referencing the operation to catch the alleged gang of violent burglars, said today: “We have arrested three men, one of North African origin and two from Eastern Europe, as the suspected authors of several robberies in residential properties in Majorca. Officers had been investigating a series of robberies in places like Marratxi, Puerto de Andratx, Palma, Calvia and Cala Ratjada among others.
“This criminal gang allegedly committed the crimes in properties people were living in, and would sometimes rip safes out of walls as occurred on November 27 at a residential estate in Marratxi where watches, money, jewellery and other valuables were stolen.”
The force added in a statement: “One of the three suspects was banned from entering several European countries for prior offences of this type and had served a 17-year-prison sentence in the UK for murder. The gang was allegedly planning a Christmas campaign of break-ins.
“As well as the safe taken in the Marratxi raid, 50 watches, jewellery, mobile phones and around £3,000 pounds in euros were recovered. The valuables have almost all been identified by their rightful owners and handed back to them.”
