TIRANA, July 17 – A speedboat filled with 262 kg of cannabis, which Italian media said was coming from Albania, was caught in Italy’s Bari port on Monday.
A 26-year-old Italian citizen has been arrested, while the cannabis amount is estimated at a market value of around €3 million.
The cannabis was hidden inside the double floor of the speedboat and was found by Bari Guardia di Finanza naval operators.
The speedboat was allegedly arriving from international waters, most probably Albania, Italian media wrote, and was heading towards the Brindisi coast.
According to preliminary investigations, the speedboat driver was trying to transport the cannabis to Puglia, as during the summer cannabis trading opportunities grow bigger as the number of vacationers increases in both countries.
Meanwhile, Greek police also announced the arrest of a 36-year-old Albanian in Northern Greece, close to the border with Albania, as he was trying to transport 112 kg of cannabis inside his car towards Ioannina.
Greek police also said the Albanian, whose name has not been made public, was already wanted by police in the country for a drug-related crime.
It added that, in June only, in the Epirus area – neighboring Albania – 237 kg of cannabis have been stopped and 39 people have been arrested.
