Staten Island is now ninja-free.
The NYPD says it’s ended the career of the so-called Staten Island ninja who robbed 19 homes in the borough since last May – and he was a they.
A police source said there were actually three ninjas, and they were all members of an Albanian robbery ring who worked together to commit the burglaries in the upscale Todt Hill and Grymes Hill neighborhoods.
One of the suspects, Nazmi Papraniku, 25, pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery last week in a non-ninja case.
He’s expected to be deported to Albania after he serves his sentence here, a source said. He’ll be sentenced next month.
Bashkim Capa was arrested and charged with burglary in a different case. That charge was dismissed for lack of evidence, but he will also be deported to Albania, where he has several outstanding warrants, the source said.
Investigators have identified a third man they believe is a member of the ring, and who is also awaiting deportation.
The source said police have evidence all three were involved in the ninja burglaries, but don’t have enough to effectively prosecute the case.
The burglary spree by the men in black started last May. The robbers were dubbed the “ninja burglar” – before cops knew there were three – because they wore masks and, in at least one case, were armed with nunchuks.