Albanian killer uses smuggled phone to flirt with women on TikTok
Albanian murderer uses phone he smuggled into his UK jail cell by drone to flirt with women on TikTok and play online games with criminals in other prisons
- Eugert Merizaj is jailed for 32 years for his role in the killing of a drug rival in 2019
An Albanian murderer is broadcasting live videos from his UK jail cell on TikTok in which he flirts with women and plays online games with criminals in other prisons.
Eugert Merizaj, jailed for 32 years for his role in the brutal shotgun killing of a drug rival, is receiving virtual ‘gifts’ donated to him via TikTok by admirers, which he can then exchange for money.
Despite a prison ban on mobiles, Merizaj, 32, has repeatedly broadcast live five-minute conversations every day in recent weeks.
In an astonishing security breach, he boasted that his phone was dropped off at his Manchester prison by drone and that he hides it inside a toilet roll.
Merizaj, whose victim was blasted in the head, bragged last Monday that if his phone is discovered by prison officers he would just ‘buy another one’. He claimed it is the third phone he has used in prison, each costing him £2,000.
Eugert Merizaj (top left), who uses the nickname ‘Babale’, and a fellow inmate, calling himself Cameron, filmed themselves flirting with a woman (pictured) over TikTok
Eugert Merizaj (pictured) was jailed for 32 years for his role in the brutal shotgun killing of a drug rival
In one video he appears to have blocked his cell door window with paper to stop prison officers peering in, while in another he showed his 8,000 followers images of security fences outside his cell.
READ MORE: Cannabis farmer ‘was murdered by gang of Albanian drug dealers after he was lured to derelict house and blasted in head’
Earlier this month Merizaj, who uses the nickname ‘Babale’, and a fellow inmate, calling himself Cameron, filmed themselves flirting with a woman who said she was 21.
‘She’s cheeky, man,’ Cameron is heard saying. ‘Does she know that we are in jail though?’
Merizaj also uses a feature called ‘Live Match’ on TikTok to communicate with friends outside jail – and also make small sums.
Live Matches involve TikTok users filming themselves talking to other users for five minutes, in which they often implore online spectators for donations.
The winner of a match is the one receiving most ‘gifts’ from viewers, in the form of colourful virtual stickers.
The gifts are converted to points, which ultimately can be redeemed for money. TikTok, however, is believed to take a cut of more than 50 per cent. Some popular gifts including roses and footballs can be bought for less than one penny but the most expensive, stars, cost more than £400.
On Wednesday night, Merizaj took part in a TikTok Live match with three women, including an Albanian woman in Spain, accumulating 2,600 points, equivalent to £12.60, according to an online calculator.
He won another TikTok Live game on August 16 with 3,319 points, equivalent to an estimated £16. Three hours earlier he played another game, earning points equivalent to £8.
Merizaj, who has been using TikTok undetected from his cell for around a month, has also played matches against a TikTok account which sources claim is used by another Albanian murderer serving a life sentence in Greece.
#kozakbraci1 #babale #albania🇦🇱
Hemawand Ali Hussein (pictured) was shot in the head in a house in Hartlepool by a gang Merizaj was part of in 2019
Merizaj was part of a gang who lured cannabis dealer Hemawand Ali Hussein to a house in Hartlepool in 2019 before blasting him with a shotgun.
Merizaj was tracked down in Belgium after the killing and extradited to the UK. Three other members of the Albanian gang were jailed for manslaughter and three suspects are on the run.
Jailing him for life last year, Mr Justice Lavender accepted Merizaj did not pull the trigger and was not in the house when the killing took place, but said he had been heavily involved in its planning and had bought weapons including an axe.
In one TikTok chat, Merizaj believes he will be moved to an Albanian jail next month.
TikTok said it had taken action against the account and that it relies on prison staff and police to identify and notify it of accounts being used in prison.
The Prison Service said: ‘Phones are not tolerated in prisons and those who break the rules face tough punishment – including extra time behind bars.
‘We are working with TikTok to remove these videos and our £100million investment in airport-style security has helped stop over 28,000 attempts to smuggle drugs, phones and weapons into prisons since last October.’
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