Cocaine was hidden in a shipment of 24 tons of fertilizer, 10 Albanian nationals were arrested
Associated Press
Albanian authorities on Friday said they have seized 1,000 pounds of cocaine in a coordinated operation with neighboring Montenegro and other law enforcement international institutions.
Albania’s corruption and organized crime squad said 10 Albanian nationals were arrested after the cocaine was found hidden in a shipment of some 24 tons of fertilizer. During Thursday’s operation, police also seized automatic rifles, ammunition and cash.
The shipment was imported from Colombia in September, first stopping in Thessaloniki, Greece, and then unloaded in Bar, Montenegro. From there it was transported overland with trucks to Albania, authorities said.
Police located the cocaine concealed among the fertilizer in Fier, 120 miles south of Tirana, where they discovered a lab to prepare the cocaine for use.
In the past, Albania was a significant producer of marijuana in Europe and a hub for drug trafficking. Eight years ago, a government crackdown resulted in a sharp decline in the number of cannabis plantations, but recent seizures show that traffickers are still looking for new locations to store or grow marijuana and have joined global networks dealing in other drugs.
