The British tabloid Daily Mail has dedicated an article to the Albanian music group Hellbanianz, calling them a drug cartel, and a pre-military group that for years has terrorized Great Britain and filled the country's streets with cocaine.
But according to the British newspaper, the Albanian gang already has a new base, and the reason for this relocation has become the imprisonment of many of its members or the escape of others.
"From the tall towers of the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, the Hellbanianz terrorised residents while selling cocaine throughout the capital and recruited young Albanians to join their gang," writes the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail claims that the leaders of the notorious group have already settled in Dubai, where they live a life of luxury with the millions profited from the sale of cocaine and where they have taken some of the "trusted soldiers" with them.
Excerpts from the Daily Mail article:
The group's 'leader', Ervin Selita, known by the nickname 'Vinz', is known to have moved to Dubai, taking some of his most trusted lieutenants with him.
By earning large sums selling cocaine in the UK, the gang's leaders can afford to live a life of luxury in Dubai, as its members post photos and videos of themselves driving Rolls-Royce and dining with views of the Burj Khalifa.
In one photo, the group - who are street vendors and Albanian mafia enforcers - are posing in a cart in the desert, with all identities except Selita covered with the use of a joke.
In another photo, Selita and his friend known as 'Diablo', pose shirtless with a view of the skyscrapers behind them.
Footage of their 'Dubai lifestyle' has been posted on TikTok through countless accounts linked to the group and its members.
The seductive posts are accompanied by inscriptions and hashtags 'lifestyle like Arab' and 'dubaisettings'. The group has gained a large number of followers of young Albanians on the platform.
It is not known exactly when the group moved to the Middle East, but it is thought to be towards the second half of 2023, after Selita was released from prison in Albania.
Hellbanianz's 'Koka', who is in his 30s, was arrested for the attempted murder of a hotel owner in Tirana in February 2022.
The incident began after the receptionist refused to allow Selita and his girlfriend to enter the hotel without an identity card. When the owner of the hotel Zeni Xhindi got involved, Selita pulled out a gun and tried to kill him.
The formidable gang leader was released from prison in July 2023 following a Court of Appeal ruling which ruled that he must 'keep in touch' with the probation service.
An expert with knowledge of the Albanian gang told MailOnline that Selita then, after a brief return to the United Kingdom, moved to Dubai.
Since moving to the Middle East, Selita and others have performed several concerts in Albania and across Europe for their large following base. Selita often performs with Hellbanianz's lead member, Stealth – real name Fation Dibra – but it's not clear where he is.
Meanwhile, some of the other members of the group are serving long sentences in UK prisons, while others continue to roam the streets of Barking.
Well-known street members known by the street names 'Skilla' and 'Gucci' are among those who were put behind bars.
Our source told MailOnline: 'The head of Hellbanianz and his trusted soldiers have been relocated to Dubai. At least five of them are known to be there.
'Vinz and his senior men live in Dubai, while their infantry soldiers are serving their sentences in the UK.'
Many of the group's top names, including Selita, come from the Burrel area of Northern Albania and had moved here as asylum seekers with their families at a young age.
The group - whose motto is "we are the God of the streets" - formed as a rap group in 2000 in East London, but formed as a criminal gang in 2002.