In a significant ruling by Reading Crown Court, four men have been sentenced to a total of 44 years in prison for their involvement in a double kidnapping case in Reading. The sentences come following a meticulous investigation led by Thames Valley Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit.
- Erlind Demiraj, aged 32, of Orts Road, Reading, received a 16-year sentence. He was found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to blackmail, and admitted to perverting the course of justice.
- Garcon Lala, aged 28, of Eastern Road, Haringey, London, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, conspiracy to blackmail, conspiracy to kidnap, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
- Gevin Pasha, aged 22, of Gray Street, Northampton, received an 11-year sentence. He was found guilty of false imprisonment, conspiracy to blackmail, conspiracy to kidnap, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
- Klej Doci, aged 20, of St Margaret’s Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, was sentenced to five years. He was found guilty of false imprisonment and conspiracy to kidnap.
A fifth individual, Gentjan Kica, aged 34, of Glenrosa Road, Reading, was found not guilty of conspiracy to blackmail.
On 8 December 2021, around 6.30 pm, two men in their twenties were kidnapped from a car park in Maiden Place, Lower Earley, by Lala, Doci, and Pasha. The victims were taken to Northampton, where they were held captive in a bedsit for five days.
On 13 December 2021, armed police officers located and rescued the victims at an address in Hunter Street, Northampton. Pasha, who was in the address, attempted to attack the officers but was subsequently detained. The victims, barricaded in the kitchen area, received immediate medical treatment, with one showing injuries consistent with cigarette burns and physical assaults.
During their captivity, Demiraj, identified as the ringleader, demanded ransom from the victims’ family. The family had previously been blackmailed and threatened over an alleged debt throughout 2021, which escalated to the kidnapping.
The operation to apprehend Demiraj involved an international manhunt, leading to his arrest in the Netherlands as he attempted to cross from Belgium. He was then extradited back to the UK to stand trial.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Helen Gilbert, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “These four dangerous men will now face a significant period in prison to reflect on their criminal actions in this unacceptable incident.
“Thames Valley Police will never tolerate this sort of offending and this case shows that we will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.
“My thanks go to our colleagues at Northamptonshire Police for their support in rescuing the victims, as well as the National Crime Agency and our international law enforcement partners for detaining Erlind Demiraj in the Netherlands.”
