A cross-border operation between Kosovo*, Albania and Italy results in the seizure of 400 kg of cocaine

Following a successful operation between the Kosovo*, Albanian and Italian judiciary and police authorities, an amount of around 400 kg of cocaine was seized in Kosovo*. The container was detected and reported by the Guardia di Finanza’s unit of the harbour of Gioia Tauro.

This success is leading back to the overall well-coordinated actions, evidence sharing and operational meetings between representatives of Kosovo*, Albania and Italy, supported by the Embedded Country Team of the project Countering Serious Crime (CSC WB) in Kosovo*. The parties agreed to use the respective departments for international legal cooperation to exchange materials and evidence that could be used as evidence during the trial.

In addition to this, the Kosovar* delegation had the opportunity to attend a presentation from Guardia di Finanza related to the case explaining all the phases as well as some visual material to enable the participants to get acquainted with the modus operandi of identifying suspicious loads in the containers. A visit to the harbour of Gioia Tauro completed this operational meeting, where participants had the opportunity to make a site-visit to various spaces of inspection.

Both parties agreed to continue the bilateral cooperation and to exchange experiences for a common goal: to ensure a secure environment for the citizens of Western Balkans and Europe. The CSC WB will continue with the expert support, being committed to the hand-in-hand cooperation with the beneficiaries, EU and international partners.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Photo Source: Shutterstock