CZECH CUSTOMS DETAIN MORE MEMBERS
OF ALBANIAN DRUG SMUGGLING GANG
CTK - April 14, 2003
Plzen, west Bohemia, 14 April: West Bohemian customs officers and police
have detained 10 people, including eight Albanians, entangled in the smuggling
of 8.5 kg of heroin from Kosovo to Germany, customs spokeswoman Jitka Blahutova
told CTK today.
The group which also included two Czech couriers, had been monitored by a
special team of customs officers and policemen since last August. Part of the
action was the seizure of 5 kg of the drug at the border crossing at Breclav,
south Moravia, last week.
Six of the eight Albanians involved in the heroin smuggling live in the Czech
Republic and two in Germany. Seven people were arrested on Czech territory and
three people in Germany within the action codenamed Ribat, Blahutova said.
One of the Czech couriers as well as the drug recipient were detained in Germany
in Munich carrying 3 kg of heroin in January.
On 6 April five Albanians were arrested in their homes in Plzen, Prague and
Ceske Budejovice, south Bohemia.
Another half kg of heroin was seized in a home search.
Two days later customs officers arrested the recipient of one shipment in
Germany and the last Albanian was arrested in Prague on Friday 11 April .
All of them have been remanded in custody. If found guilty, they face up to 15
years in prison.
Source: CTK news agency, Prague, in
English 0739 gmt 14 Apr 03
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