The Albanian mafia running Britain's cocaine trade and criminal warlords shedding blood on the streets: Experts warn gangs pose a serious threat to the UK - after young father was abducted and murdered
A young father found beaten to death on moorland with parcel tape around his neck was the victim of an 'unlawful killing' – which may be the latest horrific crime linked to Albanian gangsters.
Rhys Thompson, 29, was abducted, murdered and his body dumped in a disturbance linked to a failed attempt to 'tax' a cannabis farm – which may have been run by a gang from the Balkan country.
A total of eight men were arrested and released under investigation over the death of Mr Thompson, whose body was discovered beside a moorland road near Rishworth, West Yorkshire, early in the morning of May 13, 2021.
Last year, a leaked Home Office legal document described Albanian criminal gangs as an 'acute threat' to the UK and 'highly prevalent across serious and organised crime' in Britain – including several murders.
Albanian gangs are believed to dominate the UK's illicit cocaine trade, said to be worth £5bn a year, a position they achieved by negotiating directly with Colombian cartels and then dramatically undercutting criminal rivals.
Around Europe, the Albanians are also said to work closely with branches of the Italian mafia, which has controlled the continental cocaine trade.
In 2023, the National Crime Agency and 43 police forces across England and Wales targeted 'West Balkan' gangs seizing nearly 200,000 cannabis plants worth up to £130m, £636,000 in cash, 26 kilogrammes of cocaine worth up to £1m and 20 firearms. Of over 900 people arrested, more than 450 were later charged.
Albanians made up one of the largest groups of small boat arrivals in the UK, with 12,000 crossing the Channel in 2022, before a fast-track returns agreement was reached between the UK and Albanian governments.
In the year to March 2024, nearly 3,000 Albanians were deported back to their home country from Britain.
Rhys Thompson, 29, was abducted, murdered and his body dumped in a disturbance linked to a failed attempt to 'tax' a cannabis farm in 2021
Tomasz Waga, 23, from Dagenham, East London, who had a newborn son and 'his entire life ahead of him', was murdered in 2021, with his body 'dumped like a bag of rubbish'
Serial killer Mane Driza, now 47, is due to begin his sentence in the UK next year for murdering a man in London in 1999. He has to complete a jail term in Italy first
Detectives believe Mr Thompson had been involved in a disturbance in the Crumpsall area of Manchester, before his body was found three hours later.
It is believed Mr Thompson was caught while attempting to flee in a white van near the scene of the disturbance.
A post mortem examination revealed he suffered nine separate blows to the head with a heavy and blunt object.
He had also suffered two broken hands, a broken forearm and a broken left leg, as well as numerous bruises, lacerations and abrasions.
Some of the injuries were thought to be 'defensive' wounds and may have been inflicted with an unknown weapon, while others could have been caused by kicking and punching while Mr Thompson was laid on his back and trying to defend himself.
Parcel tape had been found around Mr Thompson's neck and wrists.
The assault on him was described as both prolonged and 'vicious', the inquest, held in Bradford, West Yorkshire, was told.
The hearing, on Wednesday, concluded he was the victim of an unlawful killing.
When Mr Thompson's body was found, his legs were found crossed at the ankles and his arms were above his head, with parcel tape around his neck and wrists.
A length of tape was also found nearby and there had been no attempt to hide the body.
Home Office pathologist Dr Michael Parsons said there was no suggestion that the victim's neck had been 'compressed' by the parcel tape and the tape hadn't been used to strangle him.
The tape may have been used as a restraint or, alternatively, to make it easier for Mr Thompson to be carried to where his body had been found – but Dr Parsons said this was 'speculation' on his part.
The cause of death was found to be head injuries.
The killer (right) and his victim, Stefan Mone, (left) had been friends but fell out over Driza's claims Mr Mone had stolen his wedding ring
Police forensic investigators on the scene where Rhys Thompson's body was found in Rishworth, West Yorkshire
The inquest heard from Mr Thompson's mother, who said her son, who had a nickname of Vypz, had been working as a courier driver at the time of his death. He had previously planned to go to Salford University but had decided not to when he became a dad.
Mr Thompson had appeared 'down' before his death as thought he had something on his mind, his mum told the inquest in a statement. 'He was quiet. I don't know what was going on in his head,' she said.
She said her son had been a loving child who would be much missed. She said: 'I miss Rhys. He was just a pleasure to have around. He was a really loving child who I miss every day.'
Assistant coroner Peter Merchant spoke to Detective Inspector Emma Hulston, of Greater Manchester Police, who confirmed the homicide investigation into Rhys' death was ongoing.
He said the inquest hearing could proceed, even though the homicide inquiry was ongoing, and had followed discussions between himself and Det Insp Hulston.
Mr Merchant said the inquest hearing should be reported upon 'sensitively' given the ongoing police investigation.
The court was told that Mr Thompson, and others, had been involved in an attempt to 'tax' or raid a cannabis grow in Manchester in the early hours of May 13, 2021.
But they had been 'ambushed' by a group of men on a second visit to the property following an initial reconnaissance trip.
Mr Thompson had tried to drive off in a white Transit van but it had collided with a wall and he had been dragged out of the vehicle and taken away in another vehicle, the coroner said.
There had been a 999 call indicating a 'fight' involving men with metal bars. It was thought that Rhys had been ambushed by men armed with metal bars and then taken away.
Mr Merchant concluded that Mr Thompson's death was an unlawful killing and said it appeared he had been ambushed by a group of males who had removed him from the Transit van and taken him away.
This was the last time he had been seen alive. The coroner said that, in his opinion, the attack had been 'vicious'.
It was reported soon after the murder that the group responsible may be linked to Albanian gangs.
Mone was looking forward to the birth of his baby when he was brutally murdered
Mr Merchant concluded: 'I am satisfied Rhys sustained injuries as a result of a prolonged assault.
'I sincerely hope that the ongoing investigation will indeed result in the capture and conviction of those responsible for Rhys's death. I now leave matters to Greater Manchester Police and hope their investigation results in convictions for Rhys' killers.'
Relatives of Mr Thompson, from Moss Side, Manchester, has previously paid tribute to him, calling him a 'sweet, funny, warm-hearted man, a fantastic brother, devoted father, loving boyfriend and respectful loyal friend'.
The threat posed by Albanian gangs was reported to members of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee in 2023.
Dan O'Mahoney, then the UK's Channel Clandestine Threat Commander, said: '[T]here is a huge amount of very harmful serious organised criminality within the UK committed by Albanian criminal gangs…drug smuggling, human trafficking, guns or prostitution.'
Albanian gangsters in the UK have also committed a number of murders.
In one previous case, three members of an Albanian gang were jailed for beating to death a man who had tried to steal cannabis from a drugs factory based in a house in Cardiff.
Tomasz Waga, 23, from Dagenham, East London, who had a newborn son and 'his entire life ahead of him', was murdered in 2021, with his body 'dumped like a bag of rubbish'.
He and another man had travelled to the property to steal cannabis plants but inadvertently discovered the live-in 'gardener', who called fellow gang members.
Mr Waga and his accomplice were then attacked with baseball bats and bricks and Mr Waga was dragged into a Mercedes car.
His body was later found dumped, with 25 injuries to his head and mouth, bruising to his chest and damage to his ribs, arms and swelling and bruising to his brain. He died after blood blocked his airways.
Police said Driza settled any problem he had in life with murderous violence
Josif Nushi, 27, and Mihal Dhana, 29, both from Cardiff, were jailed for his murder and will serve a minimum term of 20 and 16 years respectively.
Hysland Aliaj, 31, of no fixed abode, was jailed for a minimum of 10 years for manslaughter.
Meanwhile, a vicious Albanian gangster nicknamed Tony Montana after Al Pacino's character in mafia movie Scarface, is only due to begin his UK jail sentence next year for murdering a man in London in 1999.
Serial killer Mane Driza, now 47, first has to complete a separate sentence in Italy for conspiracy to murder two men and attempted murder of a third in June 2002, in Sicily, where he had fled after killing fellow Albanian Stefan Blader Mone in Wembley, north London.
His Sicilian crimes were said to be the result of a row over control of drugs and prostitution rackets in Catania.
He had previously murdered two men in his homeland.
In 2001, an Albanian court convicted Driza of two charges of 'premeditated murder in complicity of citizens' in his absence, over the shooting of a father and son four years earlier.
Later in 1997, he had arrived in the UK claiming to be a 17-year-old orphan and was given leave to remain until December 2001, as an unaccompanied minor.
Appearing at the Old Bailey in 2019 for the murder of Mr Mone, Driza was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years for murdering father-to-be Mr Mone – who suffered 120 injuries.
Driza was said to have been furious when his flatmate took his wedding ring and gave it to his partner – and launched a frenzied attack with a pick axe handle, lock knife and cheese knife.
Mr Mone's body was found by pregnant girlfriend, Zoe Blay, the next day but – such were his injuries - she was only able to identify him by a distinctive belt buckle.
