Police in Albania have detained 233 individuals as part of a nationwide operation aimed at curbing drug dealing at schools. The operation involved approximately 3,000 officers and targeted 23 criminal groups allegedly involved in the distribution of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy in school and university surroundings. Albanian Interior Minister Taulant Balla emphasized the importance of systematic efforts against criminals and highlighted the expectations of Albanian parents and families.
Albania has long been known as a major drug trafficking route in Europe, with its Adriatic Sea coastline and land borders with Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. In 2013, the left-wing Socialist Party government, led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, made the eradication of cannabis plants a priority. Over the following two years, millions of cannabis plants with an estimated market value of 7 billion euros ($8.5 billion) were destroyed, accounting for more than two-thirds of the country’s annual gross domestic product at the time.
According to State Police Director Muhamet Rrumbullaku, around 1,500 individuals have been accused of drug trafficking so far this year, and a significant number of cannabis plants have been seized.
