Albanian police seize 3.7 tonnes of cannabis bound for Greece
Police in southern Albania seized nearly 3.7 tonnes of cannabis in operations on 19 October 2012, including 3,360 kg hidden in a fuel tanker at the Kakavijë border with Greece, and arrested seven people while searching for four others.
Police in Gjirokastër seized nearly 3.7 tonnes of cannabis on Friday 19 October 2012 in several
linked operations directed at trafficking toward Greece.[1][2]Gjirokastër police chief Ajet Ibro
told Tirana Times that the cannabis was taken in five operations and that seven people were
arrested while four others were still being sought.[2]
Tanker at the Greek border
The largest haul was 3,360 kilograms found at the Kakavijë border crossing, hidden in secret
compartments of an oil tanker belonging to the Krujë firm Laerti Trans; police said the driver was
arrested.[1]Balkan Insight reported that the load was divided into hundreds of sacks inside the
tank.[1]
Police also seized cannabis in two other Gjirokastër operations the same evening, including 300
kilograms concealed in car tyres and a smaller quantity near the city, according to regional
reporting summarised by Balkan Insight and Tirana Times.[1][2]Part of the shipment was believed
to originate from Lazarat, a village Balkan Insight describes as largely outside routine police
control.[1]
Photos and video
Police collect sacks of cannabis from the impounded oil tanker at Kakavijë.Photo details
Tirana Times describes the truck load as marijuana plants, while Balkan Insight and police statements refer to packaged cannabis in sacks; the opened sources do not spell out whether all 3.7 tonnes were fresh plant material.
Balkan Insight says part of the load was believed to come from Lazarat; police did not confirm that in the excerpts opened here.
Police reported four suspects still wanted; their names were not given.
Separate smaller seizures the same week in Gjirokastër (300 kg in car tyres and 50 kg near the city) are included in the 3.7-tonne total but not itemised beyond the tanker haul.
Shkodër police seized more than 56.7 kg of cannabis in ten sacks from woods and a campsite in Koman. Four men were arrested and a fifth, the brother of one of them, was left under investigation at liberty.
After a four-month inquiry, Shkodër police stopped a Volkswagen Passat in Guraj, Malësi e Madhe, and seized 265.4 kg of cannabis from the car and two homes. Four men were arrested and three relatives were declared wanted.
State Police announced two arrests at Rinas and the seizure of 61 kg of suspected cannabis in four suitcases. They said the shipment had come from Bangkok and was intended for sale in Albania.
Police arrested a 39-year-old man at Tirana International Airport after finding 19.4 kg of high-THC cannabis in his suitcase on a flight from Thailand. The seizure, made in anti-drug operation Package 6, was valued at 388,000 euros and referred to Tirana prosecutors.
