Albania is not only a giant warehouse for the storage of huge hauls of drugs but also a big laboratory that processes record quantities which then are distributed across Europe, Democratic Party chairman Lulzim Basha said in the parliament today, adding there are three drug laboratories in the country.

Albanian police said last week it seized 613 kilos of cocaine coming from Columbia via Italy, but Basha said the drugs had been for days in Durrës and the authorities intervened only after the increased pressure from the international community.

“The country is rule by a government that is linked head over heels with the most dangerous clans of drugs”, Basha said in the parliament. “It started with marijuana, but soon, like in any country where crime is not fought but takes the power seat, it continued with stronger drugs”.

“Two persons were arrested in February 28, a vehicle driver and a dockworker, while the receiver is in liberty. A simple search from the opposition revealed the importing company “Arbëri Garden” had received 97 banana shipments from Colombia. The banana cargo where the cocaine was hidden had been for nine days in the harbor, while the company boss disappeared on February 27, 24 hours before the drug was seized”.

“Who financed such an operation? Could it be carried out without political support? It’s a well known fact that for every seized load, tens of others pass unharmed”, Basha said in the parliament. “For such loads one would never experiment without having guarantees. It means the drug cartels have successfully smuggled other shipments”.