TIRANA, July 23 – Thousands of marijuana plants were destroyed this week, continuing a trend of fighting the cannabis cultivation, authorities said.
Police reported about 8,000 cannabis plants were found and destroyed in Vlora County’s Pete village. No arrests were made as the people responsible could not be identified.
In addition, 600 cannabis plants were destroyed and two people were arrested in Shkodra County’s Puka municipality.
Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri said Monday, while reporting to the parliamentary commission on security, that fighting drug cultivation and trafficking remains a top priority for the police.
He added there had been significant results this year.
The comments came as parliament was discussing on $7.8 million in U.S. funding aiming to help Albania in its fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.
“The fight against organized crime, corruption and above all the fight against cultivation and trafficking of narcotics is a priority in the work for the interior ministry and the government in general,” Tahiri said.
The minister said months of operations against drug cultivation – primarily marijuana – had made it possible to get the country out of a black list of places where cannabis is cultivated and trafficked to European Union countries.
He said authorities would not let the country return to the previous state of being a heaven for cannabis cultivation and trafficking.
