Police: 13 Albanians arrested for alleged drug trafficking

TIRANA, Albania – Police in Albania say they have cracked down on an international drug trafficking ring that allegedly smuggled marijuana, heroin and cocaine to European Union member countries.

An Albanian State Police statement issued Saturday said officers arrested 13 Albanians and five others have been jailed in Turkey and Macedonia.

The statement says the group is suspected of trafficking 7 metric tons of marijuana that police in Greece, Macedonia, Italy and Turkey impounded during the last two years. The crime ring also is believed to be involved in trafficking heroin from Turkey and cocaine from Latin America.

Albania has been known as a crossroads for marijuana smuggling. A government crackdown led to a significant reduction in the number of cannabis plantations, but regular seizures indicate traffickers still have marijuana stored.