Albanian National Wanted Over Cocaine Smuggling Arrested in Germany

A policeman stands with a gun near a shopping mall following shootings on July 22, 2016 in
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TIRANA, Albania (AP) – Albanian police say an Albanian businessman accused of involvement in the trafficking of 613 kilograms (1,350 pounds) of cocaine earlier seized in the country has been arrested in Germany.

A statement Friday said that Arber Cekaj, owner of the Arbi Garden company that owned the container with the cocaine that was discovered in February, was arrested near Duesseldorf.

The cocaine arrived in Albania with a shipment of bananas from Colombia via Italy and Malta. Two people were arrested at the time.

Police gave the cocaine’s estimated market value as 180 million euros ($220 million).

Albania was previously known as a crossroads for the trafficking of marijuana. Regular seizures show traffickers still have marijuana stored despite a government crackdown significantly reducing the number of plantations.

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