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Notorious Trikala prison runaway Ilir Koupa has been arrested in Albania. In July 2013, he managed to escape from a police blockade in Vrosina, Thesprotia, when his accomplice Marian Kola was killed.

The very same month, the Greek police managed to trace him to the village of Kerasohori where he had broken into a house and stolen food. Since then, the police have been looking for him. The village is just 500 metres from the Albanian border. The police said that he had accomplices who helped him escape. On Saturday morning, he was finally arrested in the village of Tsamidon in Albania.

Koupa was hiding because he was wanted by a red European arrest warrant. On the other hand, he was also wanted for crimes in Albania. The Greek authorities kept track of his wife during this period. She left Greece and went to Albania 8 days ago. There, she was followed by the Albanian police and in this way they managed to find Koupa’s traces.

The official police statement confirmed the arrest and stressed that it was the result of the cooperation with the Albanian security services. The necessary measures have been taken and he will be transferred to Greece.

It is noted that after the murder of policeman George Andritsopoulos in Distomo, Viotia, on 17 June, 27-year-old Ilir Koupa managed to escape with five of seven accomplices, all escapees from Trikala prison.

The runaways were detected in Isthmia, Corinthia, where their bullets killed a 25-year-old employee at the Katerina Zogali Hotel.

Traces of the runaways in Kerasohori

During the chase, the escapees broke into at least 30 vacant houses in various areas of central and northern Greece, looking for food, clothing, rest, and anything which could be useful. Koupa himself broke into a villa in Eptalofo, Phocis, between 8 June and 4 July, together with 25-year-old Edison Lika and 35-year-old Flamour Lika, who was one of the leaders of the armed attack against the guards at the prison break in Trikala.

Traces of the runaways in Kerasohori

The two Likas, who are uncle and nephew, were killed in a clash with the police in Koniska, Etoloakarnania on 2 July. After their death, Ilir Koupa continued his escape together with Marian Kola. On 21 July, the police found them in Vrosina. Kola was killed by the police and Koupa managed to escape.

A Kalashnikov, a hand grenade, fillers, and a Glock, which was stolen in Distomo, were discovered in Kola’s backpack.

The place of the clash where Kola was killed

Ballistics of the Crime Lab of the Greek Police made it clear that the Kalashnikov which was discovered near the dead Kola had been used in three clashes with the police, including the latest in Vrosina. A 25-year-old policeman was injured during the latest crash.

Kola’s Kalashnikov

Of the 11 escapees from Trikala prison, 25-year-old Klement Kala, 40-year-old Admir Mouratai, 27-year-old Louli Flolat and 30-year-old Fatos Soulah-Bracha are still being sought for. Kala and Mouratai are dangerous robbers. They are the perpetrators of the robbery at which about 1 million euro was stolen from the National Bank on the central square in Larissa on 16 May. Flolat is considered the leader of a multi-member gang of Albanians robbing elderly people in the area of Volos. He is considered the killer of a 55-year-old woman. Soulah-Bracha is a member of a gang of robbers.