Albanian diplomat allegedly caught transporting drugs to Turkey

TIRANA, May 7 – An Albanian diplomat was allegedly detained from Turkish police after found with 65 kilograms of heroin, the local media reported.
There was no confirmation or denial from the Foreign Ministry, which only issued a statement saying that Agim Haxhiu, holding the post of the second secretary in the Albanian embassy in Skopje, Macedonia was fired after being absent for six days, May 1-6, without any justification. But the statement wrote that Haxhiu was also deprived of any diplomatic privilege or immunity and the Macedonian authorities were told of that.
Private media outlets in the country reported Thursday afternoon that Haxhiu was stopped by Turkish police while transporting 65 kilograms of heroin in his car with a diplomatic number plate.
Balkanweb.com website said they had confirmation on the news from Albanian secret police and other authorities and also from the Macedonian sources.
It also said Haxhiu was stopped May 2 but the news was kept secret for about a week. It also said the drug could have a market value of some 650,000 Euros. It added that Haxhiu had worked before as a journalist with the Albanian state-owned news agency ATA. The tiny Balkan country bordering the Adriatic just north of Greece is thought to be a source of drug traffic coming from Southwest Asia. (Tirana Times Staff)