Portuguese Tourist Stabbed to Death on Beach
Eleven arrested in Ksamil, two more sought. Security guards and police at the bar allegedly failed to intervene as the conflict moved to Paradise Beach.
Eleven arrested in Ksamil, two more sought. Security guards and police at the bar allegedly failed to intervene as the conflict moved to Paradise Beach.
A 20-year-old Portuguese tourist was killed in the early hours of August 18, 2026, in Ksamil, southern Albania, and according to sources, his body lay on the beach for nearly three hours before being discovered. Albanian police have arrested 11 people linked to the crime, and two more are still being sought.
According to police data reported by Kurir.rs, the conflict began around 5:15 AM at a bar and then continued on the beach. A CNN journalist reported that it all started with an argument between two French nationals over the harassment of a girl. Bodyguard Sokrat Vata joined the fray, and later a Portuguese national who became the victim.
The suspected perpetrator, 29-year-old Sokrat Vata from Has, allegedly stabbed the Portuguese man multiple times. A 29-year-old identified as D.H. is still at large, suspected of punching the victim. Both are suspected of complicity in premeditated murder.
Vata was caught in Levan, Fier County, hiding in the trunk of a vehicle driven by a 31-year-old Turkish woman. A 38-year-old Turkish man was also in the car. Police suspect the two Turkish nationals knew the suspect and were trying to transport him to Tirana.
Among those arrested are waiters from the bar where the conflict began and four security employees. According to police, four waiters punched the 20-year-old before he was stabbed.
At the time of the bloody attack, four security personnel were present at the bar, including police officers and public security staff. According to the investigation, they did not intervene to prevent the conflict nor did they notify authorities after the incident.
Police are also searching for the bar owner, who was present during the conflict and then left without reporting the case. As part of the investigation, 41 people were taken to the police station in Saranda.
Albania's public television, cited by CNN Portugal, reported that the Portuguese tourist was found dead on a sun lounger at Paradise Beach. Net.hr reports that the conflict began at the Principote bar.
