All known for the seizure of 400kg of cocaine, arrested by several Kosovo cities

The State Prosecutor, Kosovo Police, Albania's Special Prosecutor and Italian State authorities at a joint conference tonight for the media have provided details about the case, which was said that the truck in which the narcotics were located was launched from Brazil to Kosovo.

Narcotics confiscated in the former “factory Coca-Cola” in Lipjan was said to be hidden and camouflaged in packages similar to different kinds of meat. Kosovo authorities said they had been notified about the case and that they have developed secret measures with authority from Italy and Albania.

State Chief Prosecutor Alexander Lumezi said that besides narcotics, another amount of money, cars and other items has been seized.

He said secret measures were used during the investigation, where the narcotics movement from Brazil to Italy was conveyed and then from Durres to Kosovo.

“By the order of the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo and in close co-operation with the Kosovo Police, Italian and Albanian authorities today have taken measures and actions, which have resulted in the seizure of 400 kilograms of cocaine, whose value amounts to around 20m euros, and an amount of money, cars and other items have been seized, which will serve in later criminal procedure. Secret measures have been used during the investigation phase, where we have forwarded the narcotics movement from the state of Brazil to Italy, then to Durres until the destination's arrival, to the Republic of Kosovo, respectively. That way we have proven once again that the joint team work of the State Prosecutor and police sends clear orders to all criminal groups that they will face justice. We are aware that contemporary dangers of justice and security cannot be fought by a single state, so in this case we have collaborated with our partners, seeing that the crime we are facing exceeds the borders of our country. This was not only a challenge for our country but an obligation to fight organised crime”, Lumez said.

Kosovo Police Director Samedin Mehmeti has indicated that on May 3rd, 2021, through official channels, they have accepted inflammation that a shipment to an Italian port has come from Brazil with the destination of Kosovo and that there are doubts that there may be drugs of the type of cocaine hidden.

He said that during communication with authorities, reconciliation has been achieved to realise a joint investigation and operation to convey this shipment to the final destination.

Mehmeti said that in co-ordination of three states -- Kosovo, Italy and Albania -- the escort has been made all the time.

“Institutions of all three states have united closely in real time, and at any given moment, there has been regular communication among the three institutions that I mentioned. Loading through the territory of the Republic of Albania on the territory of the Republic of Kosovo has reached 1505.2021, where it has stopped in parking lot of a suspected company's property. All the time this shipment has been monitored by Kosovo Police with the goal of uncovering suspected persons who may have criminal links to international trafficking in this amount of narcotics. Today around 11:00, the suspects have begun their criminal activity to attract the alleged amount of narcotics, with Kosovo police cases naturally interfering at the order of the Special Prosecutor and the competent Court. Kosovo Police specialised units have taken the situation under control and have managed to arrest suspected persons, and also to find an amount of about 400 alleged cocaine packages”, Mehmeti said.

Mehmeti said he will conduct raids in other countries as well and that the operation is under way and there may be other arrests.

“The alleged narcotic substance was hidden and camouflaged in packages similar to different kinds of meat. Seven persons, citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, have been arrested during this police operation so far and around 400kg of narcotics suspected of being cocaine, a weapon, and various types of truck cars and other items that were found in the warehouse... Narcotics, which was found only in one location, other raids were made in several locations, but you should also consider one more thing that is about an extremely large amount of narcotics substance even for a certain network that can also have international connections that means that the operation is ongoing and there may be other raids and arrests. While, it is about 7 citizens of the Republic of Kosovo at the moment when we are talking, but even at the moment when we are talking about the operation, it is dynamic, and it can then change”, he said.

Albania's Special Prosecutor's Chief Prosecutor, Arben Kraja, said they have been involved in investigating this case since the first moments they received information.

There are two moments that must be assessed in this case, the first moment is that structured groups or criminal organisations as you see exercising activity in a vast territory, from Brazil to Kosovo, passing over to many territories, and this shows that they have achieved the extent of their risk. But, on the other hand, the reaction our institutions made by starting with Kosovo's foreign Albanian authorities, Italian, shows that if we are all together and co-ordinated with each other, we will be very successful. The controlled monitoring and handover of about 400kg of cocaine shows that the effectiveness of all our facilities was appropriate. We should all be clear that we are serious, and we are determined to fight such cases”, Kraja said.

Italian authorities' representative, Gianpiero Carrierero, said it has been very important to know the destination of the drug confiscated today.

“has been very important to know where the destination has come from and where the cocaine has been run and as a result has come to the sequencing of a high amount. There has been an excellent example of the co-operation of authorities who have made the discovery of this drug-trafficking network”, he said.

Of those arrested, three are from Pristina, one from Gjilan, one from Lipjan, one from Peja and one from Obilic.

Lumez gives details: 400kg of cocaine worth about 20m euros has been confiscated