Flash News

'Bankers' tax evasion, Chinese CEO and former director jailed

Two cars collide on the Saranda-Delvina axis, 4 injured

Bomb alert, Police remove MPs and media from Kosovo Parliament building

"The will of the people" and the irony of ordered resignations

Vote recount in Durrës ends without changes

E-TJERA

Cocaine laboratory in Greece, here are the Albanians arrested and wanted

Politiko 2025-07-05 12:40:16

Cocaine laboratory in Greece, here are the Albanians arrested and wanted

Greek authorities have revealed the names of three arrested Albanian citizens and another wanted, following a large-scale anti-drug operation in Pikermi, Athens, where a sophisticated laboratory for extracting cocaine from animal skins was discovered.

The operation conducted on Thursday morning by the EKAM special forces led to the arrest of 11 people – among them 6 Greek citizens, 3 Albanians, 1 Colombian and 1 Bolivian – as part of an international cocaine trafficking network. Among the Albanians arrested are:

Robert Muci, 41 years old, from Shushica, Vlora,

Skënder Kallashi, 50 years old, from Novosela, Vlora,

Ledvis Hoxha, 27 years old, from Kutallia e Dimal.

Meanwhile, the "brain" of the operation is considered a 45-year-old Albanian citizen, Luis Murataj, known by the nickname Carter, who has not been captured and is currently in Spain.

The group had legally imported dried cow hides from Bolivia, which were soaked in salts to hide the cocaine. The hides were stored in a warehouse in Pikermi, where a secret laboratory had also been set up.

During the operation, police found about 100 kilograms of cocaine mixed with salts, extracted from 200 skins, while from the remaining 1,500 skins, it is estimated that up to 700 more kilograms could be extracted.

Greek police highlighted the technical complexity of the drug distribution process, considering the group to be extremely organized and specialized in chemical procedures. Investigations continue in cooperation with international agencies to capture Murataj and fully uncover the network.

Latest news