New details have emerged about the fatal brawl that took place in the early hours of Tuesday (August 18) in Ksamil, near Sarandë in Albania, in which 20-year-old Portuguese tourist Luis Miguel Varela Mendes was killed.

The 29-year-old known as Sokrat Vata has been arrested in connection with the case and, according to Albanian media, is the alleged perpetrator of the killing.

Authorities announced that the case had been solved and, in addition to the arrest of the 29-year-old, reported a series of further arrests involving people suspected of possible participation in the fight or of helping the alleged perpetrator escape.

Vrasja në Ksamil/ Në automjetin ku u arrestua Sokrat Vata ishte një femër turke dhe një i tretëhttps://t.co/MavL5zb63G pic.twitter.com/vIlvUXv6CF

— NOA (@noanews) August 18, 2026

He was hiding in a car trunk

Sokrat Vata was arrested in Levan, Fier, following a police operation. According to a police statement, after a roadblock the man was found hidden in the trunk of a car traveling toward Tirana.

According to Albanian outlet Top Channel, two Turkish nationals were inside the vehicle. Authorities say they were aware that the 29-year-old was there and allegedly hid him in the car in order to transport him away from the area.

As part of the investigation, police questioned 41 people, while 11 arrests have so far been made. Another man is also being sought.

The fatal fight and what triggered it

According to investigators, the incident occurred in the early hours of August 18, initially inside a nightclub located within a tourist resort and subsequently on the beach outside a venue in Ksamil, where the 20-year-old’s body was found.

During a fight involving several people, Sokrat Vata allegedly attacked the 20-year-old Portuguese man with a sharp object, inflicting multiple wounds to his chest and back.

At the same time, according to police, another person allegedly took part in the attack, punching the 20-year-old.

The investigation also found that employees of the nightclub were involved in the confrontation. They allegedly assaulted the 20-year-old before the attack with the sharp object and subsequently left the scene.

Investigators are also examining witness accounts suggesting that the fight began following an incident involving a woman. According to reports in Albanian media, the 20-year-old Portuguese tourist allegedly intervened in an attempt to calm the situation, but ended up being attacked, an assault that proved fatal.

Security staff under scrutiny

Authorities are also examining the role of the security personnel who were at the venue when the incident occurred.

According to police, the security staff did not intervene to prevent the fight, which began inside the venue, and did not notify the relevant authorities afterward.

The case is now in the hands of police and prosecutors, who are continuing their investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the fatal confrontation.

He had previously come to the attention of authorities

According to the same reports, 29-year-old Sokrat Vata had previously come to the attention of police authorities.

Specifically, it is reported that on April 13, in Kent, Britain, Vata allegedly failed to obey police instructions to stop for a check, leading to a pursuit during which the vehicle he was driving crashed.

Police subsequently found bags containing cocaine inside the car, while the vehicle’s license plates were allegedly fake.