The execution of a record producer shot up to ten times in front of his wife and child in London on Christmas Eve has been linked to Albanian gangland murders in Sweden where he was once one of the country’s most wanted men, MailOnline can reveal today.
Flamur ‘Alex’ Beqiri, 36, was peppered with bullets as his screaming wife Debora watched in horror outside their £1.5million home in Battersea at around 9pm on Tuesday.
Mr Beqiri, whose sister is Real Housewives of Cheshire star Missé Beqiri, was treated by a doctor and a nurse who lived on the same affluent street near the Thames but could not be saved.
Police in Sweden have confirmed today they are working with Scotland Yard on the case after a string of murders since Mr Beqiri emigrated to the UK three years ago.
A source source told the Sydsvenskan newspaper in Malmo, where Flamur grew up, that ‘several’ of his friends and former associates have murdered or shot at since he left the country.
In 2008 he was named as one of Sweden’s most wanted men after detectives named him as part of an international drugs smuggling ring who moved £2million of cannabis into Scandinavia.
Flamur ‘Alex’ Beqiri, 36, was shot dead in front of his wife Debora (pictured together) outside their £1.5million home in Battersea at around 9pm on Christmas Eve
In 2008 Mr Beqiri was named as one of Sweden’s most wanted men in relation to a drugs smuggling ring. It is not known if he was prosecuted. His friend Naief Adawi, 33, right, was shot at in August in Malmo where a gunman executed his wife Karolin, also pictured, who was holding their baby
On his Facebook, he posted a picture with Real Housewives of Cheshire reality star Missé Beqiri with the caption: ‘Brothers!’
Police outside Flamur’s home on Battersea Church Road, south London, following the shooting
It is not known if he was ever arrested or charged in connection with the plot but an insider told MailOnline Mr Beqeri, who moved from Albania to Sweden as a child, was ‘heavily linked’ to criminals in the Swedish underworld but may have gone to the UK to ‘go legit’.
His friend Naief Adawi, 33, was targeted by Syrian gunman in a gangland hit outside a falafel shop in Malmo in August. The convicted bank robber handed his two-month-old baby to his physician wife Karolin Hakim, 31, and fled. Ms Hakim was shot in the head but the child and its father survived.
Naief was convicted for his part in a £7million raid on vans carrying casxh in Denmark in 2008 and was jailed for eight years.
Alex Beqiri was shot dead in front of his young son in Battersea on Christmas Eve
Mr Beqiri’s Facebook profile photo is a picture with his sister, Real Housewives of Cheshire star Missé Beqiri with the caption: ‘Brothers!’
Missé, a model, dated The Only Way is Essex star Jake Hall after her marriage to Manchester United footballer Anders Lindegaard broke down
Mr Beqiri is reported to have married his wife, Debora Krasniqi, in Cernobbio by Lake Como, Italy, in October 2018.
An article in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine, which published photos of the occasion, revealed the couple first met through Facebook.
Ms Krasniqi told the magazine that the pair, initially just friends, ‘fell deeply in love’ at his sister’s wedding after speaking for ‘endless hours over the phone’.
‘There was always something special about our connection and bond,’ she said.
Locals confirmed to MailOnline that Mr Beqiri – known to them as Alex – was the victim of the shooting shortly before Scotland Yard formally named him.
No arrests have been made, however Metropolitan Police detectives have launched their 146th murder probe of the year – the worst on record for 11 years.
The 36-year-old Swedish national who runs a record label was peppered with a spray of bullets on his return from an evening out with his family at around 9pm on Tuesday
Missé Beqiri, a model, dated The Only Way is Essex star Jake Hall after her marriage to Manchester United footballer Anders Lindegaard (couple, right) broke down (left, attending the Decorte Dinner at The Arts Club last week)
A police cordon remains outside the house which had been decorated for Christmas
Flamur Beqiri’s sister Missé starred on The Real Housewives of Cheshire from March 2016 to May 2017
Swedish documents show that Mr Beqiri moved to the UK in 2016.
His sister Missé starred on the ITVBe show for three series from March 2016 to May 2017.
In 2014, she married professional goalkeeper Lindegaard with whom she had a son, Julian.
Mr Beqiri was said to have proposed to Debora Krasniqi after flying their families to a chalet in Kizbuhel, Austria, where he covered the floor in a 1,000 red rose petals.
They married in a lavish ceremony at a luxury hotel in Lake Como, where their friends were flown out from all over the world.
In a piece about their nuptials in Wedding Style magazine, Mrs Krasniqi revealed they had paid for their guests’ accommodation as a ‘thank you’.
Speaking of the special day, she said: ‘I saw only him and my son, and everything fell into place.
‘I shook like a leaf reading our vows and when he cried reading his, I broke into pieces.
‘As we walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, we turned to each other, smiled, and said ‘Pfff, thank God that’s over’.’
She said the couple had put off their honeymoon as she was expecting their second child soon after and had been busy renovating their dream home.
On Thursday, heartbreaking photos from the crime scene show the plum location townhouse had been decorated for Christmas.
Of the horrific execution-style murder this week, DCI Jamie Stevenson, of the Specialist Crime Command, said: ‘Our investigation is in the very early stages and we are still working to establish what the motive could be that has led to a man losing his life in such a horrific way, on Christmas Eve, in front of his family.
‘They have been devastated by this horrible event and are being supported by specialist officers.
‘We know that the victim was returning home with his wife and young child following an evening out, when he was shot just yards from his home.’
A number of floral tributes have been left at the scene in Battersea, south London, on Boxing Day
Locals confirmed to MailOnline that Mr Beqiri – known to them as Alex – was the victim of the shooting shortly before Scotland Yard formally named him
Swedish documents show that Mr Beqiri (pictured) moved to the UK three years ago
As the gunman fled the scene of the slaughter on Battersea Church Road, south London , emergency services were scrambled
Julian Stratton, 51, was at his parents’ home just metres from the scene and when he said he heard the deafening gunfire.
He said: ‘Then there were five gunshots. Four back-to-back, ‘bang, bang, bang, bang’, then a pause before the final shot.’
‘The shots were heard by many neighbours, but being Christmas Eve, most people thought they were fireworks, at first.’
He added: ‘My neighbour’s partner is a health worker. He went to help the man, who was lying on his driveway, before the police and ambulances arrived.
Anders Lindegaard and Misse Beqiri in Mykonos, Greece in 2015
Flamur Beqiri’s sister Missé starred on The Real Housewives of Cheshire from March 2016 to May 2017
‘It is thought that one round entered the victim’s neck, but where the other four ended up are unknown.
He added: ‘My parents have lived here for more than a decade. They are surprised this has happened.’
Vittoria Amati, 60, said she heard between ‘eight to 10’ gunshots fired in quick succession.
Mrs Amati told the PA news agency: ‘I then heard the screams of the wife. I came out and realised it was one of my neighbours.
‘He was lying in front of his doorway in a pool of blood. He was still alive. We were really hoping he would make it.
‘You have no idea how desperate she (his wife) sounded.’
A car was pictured being taken away from the crime scene.
Police have moved to reassure Battersea residents that there is no immediate risk from the gunman.
As much of the world celebrates Christmas and looks ahead to 2020, Londoners will reflect on a bloodbath year of horrific stabbings and gun violence.
- Charlotte Huggins, 32, Jan-01, Camberwell
- Tudor Simionov, 33, Jan-01, Mayfair
- Simbiso Aretha Moula, 39, Jan-04, Rainham
- Sarah Ashraf, 35, Jan-06, Isle of Dogs
- Jayden Moody, 14, Jan-07, Waltham Forest
- Asma Begum, 31, Jan-11, Canning Town
- Kamil Malysz, 34, Jan-27, Acton
- Nedim Bilgin, 17, Jan-29, Islington
- Carl Thorpe, 46, Feb-04, Highgate
- Lejean Richards, 19, Feb-05, Battersea
- Dennis Anderson, 39, Feb-10, East Dulwich
- Bright Akinlele, 22, Feb-18, Camden
- Brian Wieland, 69, Feb-19, Chingford
- Glendon Spence, 23, Feb-21, Brixton
- Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck, 19, Feb-22, Wood Green
- David Lopez-Fernandez, 38, Feb-25, Tower Hamlets
- Che Morrison, 20, Feb-26, Ilford
- Jodie Chesney, 17, Mar-01, Harold Hill
- Elize Linda Stevens, 50, Mar-02, Hendon
- Jolia Bogdan, 3 months, Mar-02, Croydon
- Mohamed Elmi, 37, Mar-03, Soho
- Laureline Garcia-Bertaux, 34, Mar-06, Kew
- David Martinez, 26, Mar-06, Leyton
- Antoinette Donnegan, 52, Mar-07, Battersea
- Ayub Hassan, 17, Mar-07, West Kensington
- Florin Pitic, 20, Mar-10, Brent
- Nathaniel Armstrong, 29, Mar-16, Fulham
- Abdirashid Mohamoud, 17, Mar-22, Isleworth
- Ravi Katharkamar, 54, Mar-24, Pinner
- Ramane Richard Wiggan, 25, Mar-27, West Norwood
- Zahir Visiter, 25, Mar-28, Regents Park
- Gavin Garraway, 40, Mar-29, Clapham
- Calvin Bungisa, 22, Apr-01, Kentish Town
- Hubert Hall, 60, Apr-02, Walthamstow
- Annabelle Lancaster, 22, Apr-07, Enfield
- Noore Bashir Salad, 22, Apr-08, Manor Park
- Gopinath Kasivisuwanathan, 27, Apr-16, Wembley
- Steven Brown, 47, Apr-17, Stoke Newington
- Meshach Williams, 21, Apr-23, Harlesden
- Mihrican Mustafa, 38, Apr-26, Canning Town
- Henriett Szucs, 34, Apr-26, Canning Town
- Amy Parsons, 35, Apr-26, Whitechapel
- Joshua White, 29, Apr-26, Hackney
- Tashaun Aird, 15, May-01, Hackney
- Constantin Sin, 51, May-05, Leytonstone
- McCaulay Urugbezi-Edwards, 18, May-05, Southwark
- Barrington Davis, 54, May-16, Lewisham
- Vladimir Koudriavtsev, 69, May-23, Kensington
- Tatiana Koudriavtsev, 68, May-23, Kensington
- Iderval da Silva, 46, May-25, Battersea
- Alimal Islam, 23, May-26, Tower Hamlets
- Ismaila Ceesay, 33, May-28, Forest Gate
- Steven Kennedy, 61, May-30, Plaistow
- Graham Howe, 53, May-30, Harrow
- Baris Kucuk, 33, Jun-01, Haringey
- Adrian Murphy, 43, Jun-04, Battersea
- Cheyon Evans, 18, Jun-14, Wandsworth
- Eniola Aluko, 19, Jun-14, Plumstead
- Gleb Stanislavovitch Zhebrovsky, 34, Jun-15, Tower Hamlets
- Giedrius Juskauskas, 42, Jun-16, Stratford
- Stepan Suslyk, 40, Jun-16, Notting Hill
- David Bello-Monerville, 38, Jun-18, Barnet
- Ionut Manea, 63, Jun-18, Ilford
- Edward Simpson, 25, Jun-21, Feltham
- Yusuf Mohamed, 18, Jun-26, Shepherds Bush
- Kelly Mary Fauvrelle, 26, Jun-29, Croydon
- Riley Fauvrelle, 5 days, Jun-29, Croydon
- Ian Taylor, 54, Jun-29, Lambeth
- Fuad Habib, 28, Jun-29, Newham
- Gary Blagrove, 44, Jun-29, Fulham
- Amara Toure, 18, Jun-30, Southwark
- Tesfa Campbell, 40, Jul-03, Wandsworth
- Craig Walters (Craig Small), 32, Jul-05, Wembley
- Amanda Gretton, 57, Jul-05, Blackheath
- Grineo Daka, 27, Jul-07, Leyton
- Kwasi Mensah-Ababio, 26, Jul-08, Wembley
- Leo Marcus, 22, Jul-10, Kidbrooke
- Boluwatife Oyewunmi, 22, Jul-11, Enfield
- Kye Manning, 19, Jul-11, Croydon
- Akbar Arezo, 64, Jul-12, Whitton
- Layla Arezo, 74, Jul-12, Whitton
- Aron Kato, 28, Jul-17, Ilford
- Diane Dyer, 61, Jul-18, Beckenham
- Abdullahi Hassan, 20, Jul-25, South Hampstead
- Robert Komuro, 41, Jul-23, Hillingdon
- Liam Dent, 25, Jul-26, Chessington
- Alciveadis Mauredis, 60, Jul-31, Islington
- Dorothy Woolmer, 89, Aug-03, Tottenham
- Mohammed Shah Subhani, 27, Aug-05, Hounslow
- Alex Smith, 16, Aug-12, Camden
- Solomon Small, 18, Aug-15, Lambeth
- Amrou Greenidge, 18, Aug-20, Fulham
- Allan Isichei, 69, Aug-24, Southall
- Santino Angelo Dymiter, 18, Aug-26, Newham
- Lee Casey, 39, Aug-29, Brixton
- Unnamed child, 15 months, Aug-27, Putney
- Laura Rakstelyte, 31, Aug-29, Ilford
- Perry Jordan-Brammer, 15, Aug-30, Tottenham
- Sandra Samuels, 45, Aug-31, Hackney
- Norman Bertran-Tavarez, 24, Sep-01, Southwark
- Michael Irving, 15, Sep-03, Stratford
- Unnamed man, 20s, Sep-08, Lewisham
- Sahkira Mercedes Gwendolin Loseke, 20s, Sep-08, Chalk Farm
- Wilson Alexandre Garcia Varela, 24, Sep-09, Kentish Town
- Josiph Beker (Youssef al-Bayjani), 17, Sep-10, Edgware Road
- Unnamed girl, 8 weeks, Sep-12, SE16
- Assad Abdullah Yarow, 25, Sep-12, Camden
- Omar Smith, 34, Sep-13, Lewisham
- Unnamed girl, 16 months, Sep-13, Plaistow
- Julio Gomes, 29, Sep-14, Edmonton
- Mark McCann-Barrett, 33, Sep-17, Walthamstow
- Serafima Meshaka, 58, Sep-18, Ealing
- Sufi Osman, 22, Sep-23, Southall
- Tashan Daniel, 20, Sep-24, Hillingdon
- Osvaldo Carvalho, 22, Sep-24, Ealing
- Arlene Williams, 46, Sep-28, Enfield
- Baptista Adjie, 15, Oct-10, Stratford
- Clinton Evbota, 18, Oct-10, Camberwell
- Ben Lines, 20, Oct-13, Bexley
- Zoe Orton, 46, Oct-21, Deptford
- Beatrice Yankson, 59, Oct-26, Islington
- James Amadu, 26, Oct-31, Enfield
- Vladislavs Radionovs, 57, Nov-02, Ilford
- Hakim Ishmael Daba Sillah, 18, Nov-07, Uxbridge
- Mohammed Mirza, 19, Nov-19, Ilford
- Iron Miah, 40, Nov-19, Whitechapel
- Randy Skuse, 27, Nov-23, Whitechapel
- Akeem Dylon Barnes, 24, Nov-24, Ilford
- Mehran Heydari, 26, Nov-24, Ealing
- Justin Bello, 38, Nov-25, Neasden
- Jack Merritt, 25, Nov-29, London Bridge
- Saskia Jones, 23, Nov-29, London Bridge
- Exauce Ngimbi, 22, Dec-05, Hackney
- Mohammed Abdullah Al Araimi, 20, Dec-06, Knightsbridge
- Crossland Davis, 20, Dec-06, Greenwich
- James O’Keefe, 47, Dec-09, Hornsey
- Dmytro Balaban, 28, Dec-14, Brent
- Viorel Stefan, 49, Dec-14, Dagenham
- Albert Amofa, 33, Dec-15, Croydon
- Ebrima Cham, 35, Dec-19, Hounslow
- Michael Paul Baptista, 24, Dec-19, Walthamstow
- Unnamed man, 30s, Dec-19, Barnet
- Unnamed boy, 16, Dec-19, Dagenham
- Unnamed man, 29, Dec-21, Newham
- Unnamed man, 60, Dec-23, Thornton Heath