Major drug gang arrested in Albania

TIRANA, Sep 13 – Albanian police arrested five people suspected of being the leaders of an organized crime syndicate that shipped hundreds of kilograms of heroin to Italy in recent years, according to police and prosecutor office.
Brothers Hekuran and Fatbardh Hoxha were considered to be the heads of the group. They were arrested after a request by the Italian Anti-Mafia. Together with them there were arrested Alket Hatia, Saimir Gjepali and Mentor Shehu.
The organization had allegedly a large network in Italy that dispensed the drugs, which were hauled from Turkey, through Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosova.
In Albania the heroin would be processed in a laboratory in Shijak town and transported to Italy through ferries from the port of Durres.
In 2003 and 2004, Italian police seized roughly 450 kilograms of heroin transported from the group.
Albania is one of the countries of the so-called southern Balkan route, a major trafficking highway that passes through Turkey, Greece and Albania and then to southern Italy.