AUSTRIAN POLICE CONFISCATE 170 KG OF HEROIN, ARREST 17 KOSOVO ALBANIANS
BBC Monitoring International Reports - October 31, 2004
“170 kg of heroin confiscated, 17 Albanian dealers in prison", published by
Kosovo Albanian newspaper Koha Ditore on 30 October
Zurich, Salzburg, 29 October: The Austrian police have dispersed a drug network,
a group of dealers from Kosova (Kosovo), in Salzburg, Austria following an
extensive operation. According to the police, the group's headquarters was in
Kosova.
Members of the Austrian gendarmerie have confiscated a total of 170 kg of heroin
worth 12 million euros. During the operation, 17 people were arrested. The
police in Salzburg reported that a woman and two other people were arrested in
this town.
The Austrian police traced the drug network to Kosova last October following the
arrest of two people from former Yugoslavia, living in Salzburg. They were
smuggling 36 kg of drugs. Further on in their investigations, the police located
an Albanian woman from Kosova who, as reported, operated in Salzburg as a
contact person for criminal organizations. The woman (34 years old) initially
worked as a drug courier (transporter), and later she was promoted in the
hierarchy of the drug selling network. Bosses of the network engaged her to
transport drugs in several West European countries such as Germany, Italy and
Switzerland. For every transport, drug dealers promised her 10,000 to 15,000
euros.
The Austrian police also reported that they had managed to prove that the
Kosovar woman had transported at least 76 kg of drugs in several West European
countries.
Another courier controlled by her, also an Albanian from Kosova, was arrested on
17 January during a search conducted by the Salzburg Crime Department. It seems
that another Albanian from Kosova, who is also in detention, found a job for the
arrested Kosovar. It is also suspected that he financed at least two transports
of drugs and since 2001 he has tried to recruit Albanians from Kosova or Albania
to transport drugs.
Source: Koha Ditore, Pristina, in Albanian 30 Oct 04 p 1
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