BMW Driver Caught After Helping Mates Dump Bodies in London Murder Case
Mirjan Ismaili, 52, with no fixed address, has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice at Isleworth Crown Court. The verdict came on Tuesday, 28 February. He faces sentencing this Thursday, 2 March.
The Horrific Crime and Cover-Up
The jury heard how Ismaili rushed to help his mate Besnik Berisha after Berisha and another man, Kiziku Tuwizana, brutally stabbed Shkelqim Paja and Arber Fesko to death on 19 December 2019. The attack happened around 8pm on Courtlands Avenue, Mill Hill.
Berisha took Shkelqim’s body to a remote spot near Elstree and dumped it. Within 30 minutes, he called Ismaili who sped off from his home in Ecclesbourne Close, N13, driving his BMW to meet Berisha.
Hours of CCTV Footage Shows Desperate Attempt to Hide Evidence
Berisha was driving a white Peugeot van — the very vehicle he used to dump the body. Ismaili was insured to drive this van too. Over nine hours, CCTV cameras caught both vehicles travelling across London in convoy, scrambling to cover their tracks.
- The van was abandoned on Carson Road, Barnet, at around 3am on 20 December.
- Ismaili’s BMW then headed to Berisha’s home in Friern Barnet before Ismaili returned home.
- But instead of parking outside his place, Ismaili left his car well away and walked home on foot.
- His Ring doorbell footage from that night was deleted to cover his tracks.
Flight, Exile and Capture
The next day, Ismaili left the country via the Eurotunnel on a family trip. But he didn’t come back as planned on 2 January 2020. Instead, he vanished.
Months later, Italian police found his BMW. Forensic analysis revealed blood traces of Shkelqim Paja inside. Following an arrest warrant, Ismaili was caught in Switzerland and extradited back to the UK in November 2021.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Rawlinson said: “Mirjan Ismaili did not murder Shkelqim Paja and Arber Fesko but he played an integral part in trying to ensure those who did evaded detection.
“Ismaili was insured to drive the van used to dispose of one of the bodies and was present when it was dumped; he didn’t ask questions and his story didn’t add up.
“He deliberately wiped his doorbell footage and fled the UK for two years. It’s clear he knew what Berisha and Tuwizana had done and willingly helped to hide evidence. He’s now rightly held to account.”
