Latest news with #MaksimCela
Scottish Sun
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Gangster jailed for plotting to blow up a football stadium has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GANGSTER jailed for plotting to blow up a football stadium has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here. Maksim Cela, 59, claimed returning to Albania would put him at risk from rivals. 1 Gangster Maksim Cela has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here His claims were thrown out by a judge on Friday after a two-year fight costing taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds. But the crook, who arrived in 2023, five days after serving a sentence for murder and terrorism in Albania, has not left and launched yet another appeal. Cela argued sending him home breached European human rights laws. But Judge Jeremy Rintoul of the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber said: 'I do not accept that the appellant has told the truth about the nature of the threats. 'I find that the appellant's refusal to acknowledge guilt weighs heavily against him.' Cela was jailed in Albania for masterminding the murder of a crime-busting police officer and plotting to bomb a football stadium. In his legal battle, he claimed the elderly mum of the dead officer might seek revenge. He was named as the mafia boss in the case only after The Sun fought for 23 months to overturn an anonymity order. Sources last night confirmed Cela was still in the UK and had lodged another legal appeal. The Home Office said: 'Foreign nationals who commit heinous crimes should be in no doubt we will do everything to make sure they are not free on Britain's streets.' It remained unclear last night where Cela was living — but he can remain here while his appeal is being prepared.
The Irish Sun
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Gangster jailed for plotting to blow up a football stadium has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here
A GANGSTER jailed for plotting to blow up a football stadium has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here. Advertisement 1 Gangster Maksim Cela has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here His claims were thrown out by a judge on Friday after a two-year fight costing taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds. But the crook, who arrived in 2023, five days after serving a sentence for murder and terrorism in Albania, has not left and launched yet another appeal. But Judge Jeremy Rintoul of the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber said: 'I do not accept that the appellant has told the truth about the nature of the threats. Advertisement 'I find that the appellant's refusal to acknowledge guilt weighs heavily against him.' In his legal battle, he claimed the elderly mum of the dead officer might seek revenge. He was named as the mafia boss in the case only after The Sun fought for 23 months to overturn an anonymity order. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Sources last night confirmed Cela was still in the UK and had lodged another legal appeal. The Home Office said: 'Foreign nationals who commit heinous crimes should be in no doubt we will do everything to make sure they are not free on Britain's streets.' It remained unclear last night where Cela was living — but he can remain here while his appeal is being prepared. Inside the TikTok Job Centre used by Albanian crimelords to advertise £100,000-a-year drug dealer jobs
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Gangster jailed for plotting to blow up a football stadium has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here
A GANGSTER jailed for plotting to blow up a football stadium has lost his bid to stay in Britain — but is still here. Maksim Cela, 59, claimed returning to Albania would put him at risk from rivals. 1 His claims were thrown out by a judge on Friday after a two-year fight costing taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds. But the crook, who arrived in 2023, five days after serving a sentence for murder and terrorism in Albania, has not left and launched yet another appeal. Cela argued sending him home breached European human rights laws. But Judge Jeremy Rintoul of the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber said: 'I do not accept that the appellant has told the truth about the nature of the threats. 'I find that the appellant's refusal to acknowledge guilt weighs heavily against him.' Cela was jailed in Albania for masterminding the murder of a crime-busting police officer and plotting to bomb a football stadium. In his legal battle, he claimed the elderly mum of the dead officer might seek revenge. He was named as the mafia boss in the case only after The Sun fought for 23 months to overturn an anonymity order. Sources last night confirmed Cela was still in the UK and had lodged another legal appeal. The Home Office said: 'Foreign nationals who commit heinous crimes should be in no doubt we will do everything to make sure they are not free on Britain's streets.' It remained unclear last night where Cela was living — but he can remain here while his appeal is being prepared.
Telegraph
31-03-2025
- Telegraph
Football stadium bomb plotter appeals to stay in UK ‘because Albanian gangs will kill me'
A convicted terrorist who planned to bomb a football stadium is appealing against his deportation because he will be 'executed for revenge' by rival gangsters if returned to Albania. Maksim Cela, 59, travelled to the UK on a fake passport to be with his family after serving 23 years in jail for killing a policeman and other gang-related activities in the Balkan country, an immigration tribunal heard. The Albanian claims 'terrifying gang groups' will come after him to resolve a 'blood feud' if he is not allowed to stay. Home Office lawyers say he is a 'violent terrorist' who should be deported. At an upper-tier immigration tribunal in central London on Monday, Cela said he was wrongly convicted of the crimes, and that his prosecution had been politically motivated. Lawyers for the Home Office said he invented the story after learning that his serious offending meant he would not be able to claim asylum. Cela claimed he used to be a businessman, running a car dealership business in Germany, as well as having worked in a dental clinic and a hospital. But the tribunal heard he was a 'violent terrorist' who planned to detonate a bomb at a 12,000-seat football stadium in 2000. After the plot came to light in 2001, an Albanian court jailed him for five years. He was sentenced to 25 years jail in September 2006 for 'participation in criminal organisations', the murder of a police officer, and the manufacture and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, the tribunal was told. He was released in December 2022, having served more than 23 years of his 25-year sentence. In December 2022 he left Albania for Spain, travelled to Italy and then flew to the UK on what he admitted was a false passport, arriving at Heathrow in January 2023. When he was initially interviewed by the Home Office, Cela claimed that 'three terrifying gang groups' were 'coming after' him and his family because he was a member of the 'Lushnje gang', the tribunal heard. Changing his story A letter to the Home Office written on his behalf said rival gang members would 'execute him for revenge' if he returned to Albania. Cela has since changed his story, Home Office lawyers have said, claiming he was never really a member of the gang but had been set up. 'It was politically motivated,' said Cela, who represented himself at the hearing and spoke through an interpreter. 'I was merely a businessman,' he added. The Albanian told the tribunal there were four attempts to kill him while he was in prison. The Home Office said he had exaggerated the threat from rival gangs, and could get protection from the Albanian authorities or relocate to another area of the country should he be deported. Paul Skinner, representing the Home Office, asked Cela: 'It's right that you are someone who does and says whatever you want in order to get what you want, isn't it? 'You really want to be in the UK to be with your wife and daughter and you are willing to do whatever it takes in order to stay. 'The Albanian state is taking steps to obviate the risks that Mr Cela may face.' Cela's asylum claim was rejected by a judge at the first-tier immigration tribunal, but a separate claim that his life was at risk from rival gangs was accepted. His claim was based on the European Convention on Human Rights' Article Three which prohibits 'torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment'. After an appeal by the Home Office, a panel of judges set aside the ruling, finding that there had been an 'error of law'. The upper-tier tribunal will now make a decision on whether Cela can stay.
The Independent
31-03-2025
- The Independent
Terrorist claims he will be ‘executed by gangsters' if deported to Albania
A convicted terrorist who planned to detonate a bomb at a football stadium is appealing against his deportation because he will be 'executed for revenge' by rival gangsters if returned to Albania. Maksim Cela, 59, travelled to the UK on a fake passport to be with his family after serving 23 years in jail for killing a policeman and other gang-related activities in the Balkan country, an immigration tribunal heard. The Albanian claims 'terrifying gang groups' will come after him to resolve a 'blood feud' if he is not allowed to stay. Home Office lawyers say he is a 'violent terrorist' who should be deported. At an Upper Tier Immigration Tribunal in central London on Monday, Cela said he was wrongly convicted of the crimes, and that his prosecution had been politically motivated. Lawyers for the Home Office say he invented the story after learning that his serious offending meant he would not be able to claim asylum. Cela, who was born in the Albanian city of Lushnje, claims he used to be a businessman, running a car dealership business in Germany having also worked in a dental clinic and a hospital. But the tribunal heard he is a 'violent terrorist' who planned to detonate a bomb at a 12,000-seat football stadium in 2000. After the plot came to light in 2001, an Albanian court jailed him for five years. He was sentenced to 25 years jail in September 2006 for 'participation in criminal organisations', the murder of a police officer, and the manufacture and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, the tribunal was told. He was released in December 2022, having served more than 23 years of his 25-year sentence. In December 2022 he left Albania for Spain, travelled to Italy and then flew to the UK on what he admitted was a false passport, arriving at Heathrow in January 2023. When he was initially interviewed by the Home Office, Cela claimed that 'three terrifying gang groups' were 'coming after' him and his family because he was a member of the 'Lushnje gang', the tribunal heard. A letter to the Home Office written on his behalf said rival gang members would 'execute him for revenge' if he returned. Cela has since changed his story, Home Office lawyers say, claiming he was never really a member of the gang but had been set up. 'It was politically motivated,' Cela, who represented himself at the hearing, and spoke through an interpreter said. 'I was merely a businessman,' he added. The Albanian told the tribunal there were four attempts to kill him while he was in prison. The Home Office says he has exaggerated the threat from rival gangs, and could get protection from the Albanian authorities or relocate to another area of the country should he be deported. Paul Skinner, representing the Home Office, asked Cela: 'It's right that you are someone who does and says whatever you want in order to get what you want isn't it? 'You really want to be in the UK to be with your wife and daughter and you are willing to do whatever it takes in order to stay. 'The Albanian state is taking steps to obviate the risks that Mr Cela may face,' Mr Skinner added. Cela's asylum claim was rejected by a judge at the First Tier immigration tribunal, but a separate claim that his life was at risk from rival gangs was accepted. His claim was based on the European Convention on Human Rights' Article Three which prohibits 'torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment'. After an appeal by the Home Office, a panel of judges set aside the ruling, finding that there had been an 'error of law'. The Upper Tier Tribunal will now make a decision on whether Cela can stay.
