Arms trafficking and narcotics production/ Criminal group busted in Fier, 4 high-risk individuals arrested

The Fier Police, in cooperation with the Prosecutor's Office, have cracked down on a criminal group involved in arms and drug trafficking. Four people have been arrested.

The activity was carried out in several cities in the country, such as Fier, Lushnje, Durrës, Shkodër and Kukës, while in some cases the weapons were obtained from Kosovo and illegally imported through the green border at the Morinë checkpoint. 

During the operation, 8 house searches were conducted, 2 searches in premises suspected of storing weapons and ammunition, as well as 3 vehicle searches.

A 51-year-old man from Peshtani has been processed at large.

"During these checks, the following were seized: 4,000 cannabis seedlings (2,000 planted on land owned by citizen BB and 2,000 cultivated in cubicles); 3 automatic firearms, 2 shotguns and 636 cartridges of various calibers; 5,000 cannabis seeds; 2 police radios, 2 police uniforms, 1 plastic mask with wig; 3 vehicles and 10 cell phones.

"In the apartment of citizen NO, in Durrës, 1 firearm, a pistol, was seized, which this citizen attempted to throw out of the window, at the moment of the Police intervention.   

During the operation, the following citizens were detained:

BB, 48 years old, resident of Kallm, Fier, previously sentenced in Italy to 30 years in prison for the criminal offenses of "Exploitation of prostitution" and "Unlicensed possession of weapons";   

NO, 53 years old, resident of Durrës, with a criminal record in the field of illegal possession of weapons;

Q. Sh., 48 years old, resident of Lushnja, previously convicted of criminal activity in the field of narcotics and illegal possession of weapons;

BB, 33 years old, resident of Divjaka. 

Also, a 51-year-old man from the village of Peshtan, Fier, previously arrested for resisting police officers, was released on bail. 

Investigations show that this group operated in an organized manner, with the aim of trafficking weapons from Kosovo to Albania, to then sell them to individuals involved in criminal activities. 

"B. B. and Q. Sh. were the organizers of the group. The other members had a role in providing weapons and finding clients. At the same time, the leader of the group, BB, organized the cultivation and then the sale of cannabis ," stated the director of the Fier Police, Skënder Hitaj, at a conference.