TIRANA, Nov. 12 – Busts against Albanian marijuana traffickers continued this week as police in the southwestern port city of Vlora seized 800 kilograms of marijuana heading to Italy.
A police spokesman said the packaged cannabis was ready for shipping and was seized not far from a waiting speedboat that would have taken the haul to Italy, 80 kilometers away across the Straight of Otranto.
Vlora police said they arrested one of the suspected traffickers.
Police officials said they suspect the marijuana was cultivated this year in the Vlora region.
Police officials also said they found and destroyed more than 11,000 cannabis plants in the south-central city of Berat.
The plants were discovered in Lapardha village in four greenhouses.
A traffic cop was arrested and two other people were declared at large accused of planting the cannabis. They are suspected of collaborating with each other to cultivate the cannabis and then sell it.
Police are in an ongoing investigation to find out if there are more persons involved into that criminal act.
Fighting cannabis has turned into a policing top job in the past two years. Authorities have already destroyed about 1.2 million cannabis plants and more than 100 tons of marijuana, with a total estimated value of more than seven billion euros.
