Questions remain over cocaine load seized in Montenegro

TIRANA, June 10 – Last week authorities in Montenegro seized 250 kilograms of cocaine from South America in one of the biggest-ever drug busts in the small Adriatic nation.
The cocaine was discovered in the southern port of Bar on a ship carrying bananas from Ecuador to neighboring Albania. They say the drugs were hidden under the wooden floor of a container, packed in more than 200 packages. Authorities say cocaine was of “high purity” with an estimated value of 12.5 million euros.
In Albania, authorities checked the premises of the company where the bananas were destined to arrive. They did not find any contraband.
Meanwhile in Montenegro an investigation has been launched to determine if the cocaine was really intended for Albania. There are other possibilities which include a buyer in Montenegro or in Kosovo.
The ship’s documentation, owned by Italian company MCI, said the containers were sent by Vimticorp from Ecuador, while the recipient was the Rrapo Company in Albania. The container was supposed to be transported by land to Albania.
The Montenegrin police said last week that specialized police teams with the office of the special prosecutor were conducting an extensive investigation to determine who owns the drugs, who knew about the shipment, and whether it was in fact bought by someone in Montenegro.
Inspectors have already acquired data on the company and who and how hired it.
Montenegro and Albania are major transit points for hard drugs coming from Latin America or Asia.