Russia, Albania to discuss cooperation in fighting drug threat

TIRANA, August 26 (Itar-Tass) -- Head of Russia's federal service on
control over turnover of drugs /FSKN/ Viktor Ivanov will discuss in
Albania on Friday joint efforts in preventing drug trafficking to Europe
via the Balkan route.
Following the negotiations, the two sides are expected to sign an
agreement on cooperation in fighting illegal turnover of drugs to
coordinate work of the two countries' authorities in fighting the drug
threat, which comes from, for example, Afghanistan.
Local law enforcement authorities say that every month drug dealers
make various operations with four to six tonnes of heroin produced from
Afghanistan's materials. Annual revenues of criminal groups reach two
billion dollars. Albania's mafia controls 75 percent supplies of heroin
into Western Europe and about 50 percent of supplies to the USA, and the
Camilla drug cartel is among the leading five 'communities' of the kind.
Earlier, Ivanov said in Belgrade and Skopje that Balkan's Quintet to
fight drug trafficking in the region may be organised before the yearend.
It will unite Russia, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. The
union's major task would be to cut off the drug cluster in Kosovo.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his report earlier that
about 150 tonnes of heroin is supplied to Europe only. Europe is a major
recipient of Afghanistan's opiates. Out of that amount, 35-40 tonnes are
shipped for Russia.