WATCH: The police forcefully frogmarch one of Europe’s most wanted narco kingpins away from his luxurious villa on Spain’s southern coast

IT was just after dawn when elite Guardia Civil officers swept into a quiet hillside neighbourhood of Almuñecar on Granada’s Costa Tropical.

A few moments later, one Europe’s most wanted narcotics traffickers was led out of a luxurious villa in handcuffs.

Juxhin Drazhi – an alleged Albanian Mafia Boss wanted by Interpol – fled the property when the Rapid Action Group moved in, on 22 July.

In a desperate attempt to escape, the man scrambled up a steep rocky slope. But agents waiting on the hillside were ready.

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The 36-year-old, accused of running a cocaine and cannabis pipeline between Spain and Italy, was detained alongside his bodyguard – sinisterly armed with a silenced pistol – who surrendered without a fight.

Investigators say the villa – fitted with luxury finishes and perched high enough to watch every road in and out – was chosen to spot approaching police long before they arrived.

Drazhi rarely leaves, relying instead on trusted collaborators who bring in supplies so as to avoid recognition.

His capture is part of a major Albanian investigation into the powerful Elvis Doçi clan, led by the Special Court against Corruption and Organised Crime in Tirana.

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Earlier this year, more than 50 suspects were arrested in the port city of Durrës and €12 million in assets seized. The case was also investigated by Italian anti-mafia officials.

Inside the Almuñecar villa, officers found firearms, forged passports and identity cards, and a collection of high-end watches.

Albanian officials claim that Drazhi already had nine properties and one company confiscated before his arrest.

He is currently in custody, awaiting extradition. Prosecutors are preparing charges of organised crime and drug trafficking that could land him behind bars for decades.

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