Albanian police seize two tons of hashish on Greek border

TIRANA - An Albanian man was arrested Thursday as he allegedly tried to smuggle two tons (4,409 pounds) of hashish into Greece in the false bottom of a truck, Albanian police said.
The drugs were intercepted at the Albanian town of Kakavija, on the Greek border some 350 kilometers (210 miles) south of the capital Tirana, police spokesman Florian Seriani said.
Truck driver Ethem Sali Danaj, 42, was arrested, and during a search of his house police found another 14 kilos (30 pounds) of hashish, a processed form of cannabis.
Seriani said the arrest was the result of months of investigations of a drug network operating between Albania and Greece.
Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe and is a known crossroads for smuggling of all kinds, particularly drugs on their way from Asia to the lucrative markets of the West.

03/17/2005 16:48 GMT