Adelaide gangster Leonard Gjeka deported to his native Albania
FORMER Adelaide underworld figure Leonard Gjeka, who escaped from federal custody in November, has been deported to his native Albania.
FORMER Adelaide underworld figure Leonard Gjeka, who escaped from federal custody in November, has been deported to his native Albania.
Gjeka arrived in Albania on Tuesday night and has been permanently barred from returning to Australia.
Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton said Gjeka’s removal should serve as a warning to other bikies.
“I make absolutely no excuses for removing a person of Mr Gjeka’s character,” Mr Dutton said.
“He has been involved in extremely violent offences in Adelaide and escaped from lawful detention.”
During his career in Adelaide, Gjeka survived two murder attempts and was once charged over a shooting.
He escaped from the Maribyrnong immigration detention centre in Melbourne on November 12 while awaiting deportation.
Gjeka was arrested nine days later and imprisoned for 42 days in Melbourne for escaping from immigration detention.
He was arrested and charged with attempted murder in 2006 but the charges were later dropped.
In 2009, he was charged with kneecapping a man inside the San Giorgio pizza bar in Rundle St. Charges were dropped on the second day of his trial in 2012.
In 2013, he refused to answer questions during the trial of two men accused of attempting to murder him — they had allegedly ambushed and shot Gjeka at his Mt Barker home while disguised as Telstra workers.
Mr Dutton, who moved from the health portfolio to immigration last week, said one of his priorities in the job would be removing bikies who were not Australian citizens from the country.
“This is about protecting Australia and its citizens,” Mr Dutton said.
“Mr Gjeka arrived in Australia on a false passport and made numerous attempts to remain permanently but all failed.’’
In June, former immigration minister Scott Morrison cancelled the visa of Rebels bikie boss Alex Vella while Vella was visiting his birth country of Malta.
WHO IS LEONARD GJEKA? BY COLIN JAMES
LEONARD Gjeka was a violent thug, a contract hitman feared across the South Australian underworld.
The solidly-built, heavily-tattooed Albanian migrant was closely connected to organised crime, particularly bikie gangs, which paid him to shoot or bash people, usually over drug debts.
One of his targets was a patron in a Rundle St pizza bar, San Giorgio, who he shot in the leg in front of other diners in 2009. It was a classic knee-capping.
Gjeka was charged and released on bail. On the second day of his trial the charges were suddenly dropped. Nobody was surprised when it emerged the victim did not want to testify.
Gjeka, who was rumoured to have killed his wife in Albania before moving to Australia, continued with his violent business.
He fell out with the Hells Angels and linked up with self-appointed Comanchero boss, Vince Focarrelli.
Like Focarerelli, Gjeka, too, became the target of botched underworld hits. Twice attempts were made to kill him. Twice his assassins failed.
The first time a drug dealer, Leslie Richards, went to his Mt Barker house, cut his power and lay in wait in a rose garden before panicking.
Gjeka saw him hiding, pulled out a large-calibre pistol and shot at him. Richards, who had cased out the house disguised as a Salvation Army officer, fled.
Richards then offered to pay two of his heroin-addicted clients $50,000 if they killed Gjeka.
The pair, Brett Murch and Russell Logan, disguised themselves as Telstra workers, went to Mt Barker and shot Gjeka twice.
He lived but refused to answer questions at their trial. They still went to jail while Gjeka was later detained “as an undesirable character”.
Gjeka didn’t stay behind bars. He broke out with the help of two bikies, was caught and, on Tuesday night, was deported back to Albania under armed escort, never to return to Australia.