An Albanian fugitive accused of a brutal kidnap, torture and execution on the Costa del Sol has been arrested in Colombia after a year-long international manhunt.
Florind Rama – also known as Terziu Florin – was captured in the city of Pereira following a joint operation involving local police, Europol and Interpol.
He had been on the run since 2022 over his alleged role in the killing of a Serbian national in Marbella, in a case that sent shockwaves through Europe’s organised crime networks.
Rama is wanted in connection with the kidnapping, torture and murder of a man identified as Aleksandar K., whose body was discovered on June 30, 2022 in the Golden Beach urbanisation.
The victim showed signs of extreme violence and gunshot wounds, with investigators later linking the case to Balkan criminal groups operating across southern Spain.
The killing drew international attention due to the victim’s suspected links to drug trafficking – and his reported role as an informant in investigations led by German authorities.
Spain’s Central Investigating Court No. 3 issued arrest warrants for Rama shortly after the crime, first in July 2022 and again in November 2023 as the hunt intensified.
According to investigators, Rama spent months moving across multiple countries using false identities and official documents.
He is believed to have travelled through the UK, Germany, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia before eventually fleeing to Colombia, where he attempted to disappear.
For nearly a year, he lived in different parts of Pereira, constantly changing routines, vehicles and identities to avoid detection. At one point, he allegedly posed as a German citizen.
Authorities say he used at least two passports, allowing him to move freely across borders while evading capture.
His arrest came as part of ‘Operation Trípoli’, a wider crackdown on transnational organised crime networks.
Investigators were able to confirm his identity through intelligence-sharing between European and Latin American agencies, despite his attempts to once again present false documentation at the time of arrest.
Police believe Rama is part of a wider Balkan criminal network with links spanning Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia and Germany and potentially beyond.
Ballistic evidence is now being examined to determine whether the weapon used in the Marbella killing is connected to other crimes in Germany, which could significantly widen the case.
The investigation does not stop at the Costa del Sol.
Colombian authorities have opened new lines of inquiry into Rama’s possible connections with local drug trafficking networks in the coffee-growing region, as well as potential links to major international cartels.
Investigators are also probing the use of high-end vehicles tied to the Marbella murder, including a Porsche Cayenne and a Volkswagen, believed to have been used during the crime.
Rama now faces extradition to Spain, where he is expected to stand trial over one of the most violent organised crime killings seen on the Costa del Sol in recent years.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
