The Times - UK (2021-11-25)

the times | Thursday November 25 2021 2GM 31

News

Accused hitman ‘posed as a

litter picker in a latex mask’

A Swedish hitman wore a latex mask
and disguised himself as a litter picker
to carry out reconnaissance before
shooting dead a reality TV star’s
brother, a court has been told.
Anis Hemissi is accused of murder-
ing Flamur Beqiri with a semi-auto-
matic handgun about 9pm on Christ-
mas Eve 2019 in an attack that had
been planned for six months.
Beqiri, 36, whose sister Missé Beqi-
ri appeared in ITV’s Real Housewives
Of Cheshire, had been hand in hand
with his wife, Debora Krasniqi, and
their two-year-old son moments
before he was shot outside his home
in Battersea, southwest London.
A team of killers organised every
detail of the murder, including hiring
locals to “clean up” after the crime,
Mark Heywood, QC, for the prosecu-
tion, said.
Hemissi, 24, flew into London on
December 20 and left for Copen-
hagen early on Christmas Day,

Southwark crown court was told. He

is said to have stayed in a riverfront

Battersea flat and carried out recon-

naissance in disguise..

Two days before the murder, Hem-

issi cycled to Beqiri’s home and walk-

ed around for hours with a “black bag

in one hand and a litter picker in the

other”, Heywood said. “Not only was

his head covered with a dark hat, his

neck wrapped up high towards his

face, his eyes covered with sun-

glasses, but also, it will be a matter for

you to consider, it appears as if he was

wearing a latex mask as well.”

Hemissi was said to have aroused

the suspicions of a dog walker, who

challenged him and caused him to

walk off, only to return the following

day to carry out further reconnais-

sance. He denies murder and posses-

sion of a self-loading pistol.

He is on trial with Estevan Pino-

Munizaga, 35, Tobias Fredrik An-

dersson, 32, and Bawer Karaer, 23,

who also deny murder. They are all

Swedish citizens said to have been

part of the team.

Clifford Rollox, 31, of Islington,

north London, and Claude Isaac Cas-

tor, 21, from Sint Maarten in the Car-

ibbean but resident in the UK, deny

perverting the course of justice.

The case continues.

David Brown

We will be working and fighting on the

most extreme edge of the front line.

“The Rangers will be sent to coun-

tries that are facing threats from violent

extremist organisations. The emphasis

is on bringing in military assets and

experts which may not be otherwise

available to that partner country.”

Their motto will be “By all means”,

which Fair said was appropriate as “we

will be highly versatile and diverse”.

The cap badge, worn on a gun-metal

grey beret, features a peregrine falcon,

a bird famed for its speed, ability over

long distances and loyalty to its partner.

The Rangers will recruit intelligence

experts and troops trained in evidence

gathering evidence to ensure cases can

be brought against international crimi-

nals. The force will be Britain’s equiva-

lent of the US Green Berets and will

offer an alternative to Russia’s Wagner

Group of mercenaries, which is training

troops in the Central African Republic.

Last night it was reported that con-

cerns had been raised that the cap

badge was “identical” to those worn by

an apartheid terror squad. Officers

complained that the design mirrored

that of the Selous Scouts, which fought

black insurgent armies in former Rho-

desia, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Analysis

T

he cap badge

of the Rangers is

the peregrine

falcon, famed for

its speed, ability

to operate over long

distances and loyalty to its

partner (Larisa Brown

writes). Its qualities are

what Ben Wallace, the

defence secretary, has in

mind for the new special

operations soldiers who

will make up the Ranger

regiment next month.

As the army shrinks by

9,000 troops, those in the

Rangers — drawn from

other regiments — will be

able to perform the tasks

of two or three

conventional soldiers.

Some will be language

experts and there will also

be cyberspecialists to cut

enemy communications.

The teams of 12 soldiers

will be able to fight in the

grey zone — the area

between peace and war —

where Britain’s

adversaries increasingly

operate. Their work will

free special forces for the

most dangerous missions.

A transformation of the

army is viewed as vital if

the UK is able to compete

with countries such as

Russia and China, which

are increasingly using

unconventional tactics.

There is a consensus that

British soldiers need to

work with proxy forces.

Russia’s Wagner Group,

a mercenary outfit, is

training troops in the

Central African Republic,

where it has been accused

of intimidation and sexual

abuse. The Rangers aim to

offer an ethical alternative

for training local forces.

RICK FINDLER FOR THE TIMES

Anis Hemissi denies shooting a man

dead with a semi-automatic pistol

W

m

t

is

greyzone— ththhe area

The commander

is armed with a

general purpose

machinegun

Search dogs

are used

Hand-held

detectors look for

objects that could

pose a threat,

including mines

and wiring

The British

Army’s

standard

SA-80 rifle is

due to be

upgraded

Highly trained

Rangers medical

technicians have kit

to deal with

complex injuries

The unit carries a

.50-calibre heavy

machinegun

Robots are used

to explore

high-risk areas for

explosive devices