TIRANA, Nov. 3 – Authorities in the northern town of Rreshen have seized a reported three tons of marijuana and arrested 15 people during a massive marijuana bust Wednesday.
Officers from the Rreshen town and city of Lezha stormed in a facility used for the collection and processing of cannabis sativa located in the former poultry factory in the outskirts of the town.
Police forces from the Rapid Intervention Team of Shkodra also took part in the operation that lasted several hours.
Authorities discovered what they called “a large marijuana growing operation” inside the warehouse at the location. Unconfirmed sources revealed that police forces managed to seize more than three tons of marijuana that was processed in the illegal warehouse.
The remote areas of Mirdita, the mountainous district of which Rreshen is the administrative center, are among the most problematic in terms of marijuana plantations, however this is the first time that police have managed to identify and confiscate a sophisticated marijuana growing location located in an urban area.
The discovery has raised many suspicions about the group that runs the drugs operation and how its members have managed to act freely and undisturbed by police in such an urban area as Rreshen.
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities said more information would be provided at a later date.
The opposition Democratic Party have accused senior officials of the ruling Socialist Party to being connected to or benefit from the drug trade, a charge the government denies.
Last year authorities claimed to have destroyed 99.2 percent of the country’s marijuana, however this year and so far police forces admitted to have destroyed 1.7 million cannabis plants which apparently is three times the amount destroyed last year.
