Tirana, Albania | 24 March 2019 (Tirana Echo) – Albanian police have arrested an Indian citizen linked to the Sandesaras brothers fraud case, after an international arrest warrant was issued by India on money laundering.
A statement by Albania’s State Police Department said a man identified as H.P, aged 59, was arrested at Tirana’s International Airport trying to leave the country. He was arrested after a court in New Delhi issues an international arrest warrant, and Albanian authorities have already started extradition procedures.
Local media have identified him as Hiteshkumar Patel and have linked him to two Indian brothers who are wanted on financial fraud by India’s authorities.
Patel has been identified as the brother in law of Chetan Sandesaras, who together with his brother Nitin Sandesaras owns the Sterling Biotech company, borrowing $725 million before leaving India to move to Albania.
Nitin managed to convince Albania’s former foreign minister to grant him diplomatic status by naming him Albania’s Honorary Counsel to Nigeria, where he held residency. Subsequently the Indian citizen received fast-tracked Albanian citizenship for himself and for his brother Chetan.
According to Indian media, Nitin Sandesara and other family members including brother Chetan Sandesara and sister-in-law Diptiben Sandesara are believed to be hiding in Nigeria.
India doesn’t not have an extradition treaty or a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Nigeria and bringing them back from the African country would be difficult, according to Indian media.
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