Killer terrorist FREE to roam UK streets in human rights fiasco because he’d be hunted by mobsters if he’s deported

A TERRORIST cop killer is today free to roam Britain’s streets in yet another human rights scandal.

We can reveal how Albanian mafia kingpin Maksim Cela, 59, has cost UK taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds fighting deportation.

Mafia kingpin Maksim Cela is free to walk UK streets in yet another human rights scandal

The cop killer claims he would be at risk from rivals gangsters if he was deported back to Albania

Using the European Convention on Human Rights, he claims he would be at risk from rival mobsters if sent home.

Cela can only now be identified after a 23-month legal battle by The Sun to challenge repeated anonymity orders by the courts.

The gangster is currently out on bail.

A judge initially banned The Sun from identifying the ­gangster — who arrived here with a false passport — to ­protect his human rights.

But he can now be named after our lawyers fought for 23 months to remove restrictions.

We can now also reveal he has been granted bail pending a decision to deport – and was free to roam British streets last night.

Cela was detained in the UK just days after serving half of a 25-year life sentence for murder and terrorism in Albania.

He is believed to have flown here from Spain using a fake passport – before launching a two-pronged attempt to stay on asylum and European human rights grounds.

His 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 if he returned to Albania — was controversially accepted.

It was based on the European Convention on Human Rights’ Article Two, which guarantees “right to life”, and Article Three — prohibiting “torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

The Home Secretary appealed against the ruling, which was subsequently found to have been an “error of law”.

The Upper Tier Tribunal must now make a decision on whether Cela can stay — with a two-day hearing from March 31.

Even if Cela loses, he can make further appeals to higher courts which will keep him here until the costly process has been exhausted.

Legal experts said cases like Cela’s were the “tip of the migrant crisis iceberg” – with scams costing UK taxpayers millions.

Cela was caged for masterminding the AK47 murder of a cop and plotting to detonate a bomb at a football stadium.

The shaven-headed hardman then planned to melt into Britain’s Albanian community straight after his release but was caught on entry.

Despite hearing his asylum claim was based solely on his fear of “rival gangs”, Judge Nicholas Aldridge granted an anonymity order in April 2023 at Hatton Cross Tribunal Centre in West London.

He also refused to hear objections from Sun lawyers, who later argued that naming him was overwhelmingly in the public interest.

Cela in Albanian court in 2012 for killing a cop

Cela masterminded the killing of officer Klenti Bano – a senior investigator in Lushnje

After nearly two years, The Sun has finally won the battle to lift the ban, which was branded “procedurally unfair and unjustified”.

The crimelord was initially held at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre near Heathrow. But Cela – who won the right to stay in the UK at an earlier hearing – is now at large after being granted bail.

The saga was met with disbelief last night. Tory ex-Home Office Minister Kevin Foster said: “It’s scandalous any judge could think this dangerous terrorist’s ‘rights’ were more important than the right to be safe in this country from dangerous men like him.

“It’s yet another example of human rights lunacy in our courts and The Sun should be applauded, not injuncted, for highlighting it.

Masterminded killing of cop

“Instead of pandering to Mr Cela, judges should be clearing the path to getting him out of the UK.”

Cela’s appalling crimes date back decades. He rose through the ranks of mafia-style mob “Banda e Lushnjes”, which terrorised the Albanian city of Lushnje in the late ’90s.

It was led by former cop Aldo Bare, who killed his main enemy Artur Daja then cut off his head to show locals he controlled the city.

He is now serving a life sentence in Albania.

In April 2000, Cela masterminded the killing of cop Klenti Bano – a senior investigator in Lushnje — who was executed outside his home with a volley of six shots from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

The previous month, Cela was also involved in a terror plot which saw a bomb left near Roza Haxhiu Stadium in Lushnje.

It was placed where police chief Sinan Meta usually parked his car, and was ­fortunately deactivated.

Meta said after the chilling find: “We were looking to arrest four people highly dangerous. They were Alfred Shkurti, Erjon Cici, Enver Dondollaku and Maksim Cela.”

Albert Nushi, former chief of criminal police in Lushnje, said in court: “All these four were organisers of killings and putting bombs at the houses of police officers.”

Cela was found guilty in 2012 of being a member of a criminal organisation, murder, possession of weapons and ammunition and “actions related to terrorism”.

He then arrived in the UK five days after his release from jail.

Sun sources in Albania revealed in March 2023 he was seeking asylum here but we were banned from reporting the full facts.

Barrister Jude Bunting KC was initially barred from speaking at the Hatton Cross hearing by Judge Aldridge.

The anonymity order was finally overturned in November 2024 after Mr Bunting successfully argued for “open justice”, and the judge’s ­ruling was found to be flawed.

Cela, aided by his lawyer daughter Gloris, was refused permission for a judicial review.

Judge Mrs Justice Lang said: “If his appeal doesn’t succeed, and he is returned to Albania, his identification in these proceedings will not give rise to a materially increased risk to life.

“He’s been the subject of media publicity on numerous occasions and his identity, as a gang member found guilty of murder and terrorist offences, is well-known.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said last night: “We will be challenging this appeal in the Upper Tribunal.

“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, including removal from the UK at the earliest possible opportunity.

“Since the election we’ve removed 2,925 foreign criminals, a 21 per cent increase on the same period 12 months prior.”

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