The Peja Basic Prosecution filed an indictment on 30 September 2026 against nine people accused of running cannabis plantations in villages around Peja, in western Kosovo.[1] The indictment, nearly 100 pages long and seen by Kallxo.com, names three Kosovo citizens and six Albanian citizens.[1] Prosecutors say the group established one of the largest cannabis plantations found in the area, with the drug intended for Albania, Greece and elsewhere in Europe.[1]
Police raided plantations in Kliqinë and Sverkë, in Peja municipality, on 27 September 2024.[1] Officers seized 2,850 plants and more than 1,035 kg of cannabis; one part of the site was used for cultivation and another for cutting and drying.[1] Prosecutors say the operation began in May 2024, when a man from Albania who has since died met one of the defendants and agreed to set up cultivation in the Peja region.[1]
Six suspects fled during the 2024 raid and were arrested in Albania and extradited to Kosovo.[1] A second operation in October 2025 led to the arrests of Istref Bajrami, Liridon Hajrizaj and Enver Hasani in Peja and Gjakova.[1] Bajrami also faces a charge of illegal possession of weapons.[1]
Prosecutors had initially identified 11 people as connected to the plantation.[1] Nine were indicted, one died in detention while awaiting trial and one remains at large.[1]
