Albanian police seize record 613 kg of cocaine

TIRANA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian state police on Wednesday said they had seized at Durres Port 613 kg of cocaine originating from Colombia, the biggest cocaine seizure ever recorded in Albania.

"Albanian police in cooperation with the Prosecution of Serious Crimes and the Directory of Customs Investigation have successfully concluded the operation code-named Last Snow that resulted in the seizure of cocaine with an estimated market value of 180 million euros," General Chief of Police Ardi Veliu told a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Veliu said that the cocaine was hidden in the floor of a container loaded with bananas, a shipment coming from Colombia, passing through Italy and Malta, and then landed in Durres Port on Feb. 19.

Two citizens transporting the shipment, Donaldo Lushaj and Armando Pezaku, were handcuffed, while the owner of the company that had ordered the banana shipment is now on the run, according to the police.

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama hailed the police operation as a major step forward in the confrontation of Albanian state with organized crime.

"The truth of the matter is that the entirety of this operation has taken place in the territory of Albania, without any warning from the European countries where the shipment had transited before entering the port of Durres. This raid is a testimony to the law-enactment power we have today, beginning from the customs points," Rama said in a statement. Enditem