On 20th – 21st of April 2013, in the frame of Operation “TIRANA”, the Romanian Directorate for Countering Organized Criminality, seized 50 packages totaling to 25 kg heroin concealed in the construction of a Volkswagen Transporter passenger van. Total of 6 offenders (3 Albanian & 3 Romanian nationals) were arrested.
Operation “TIRANA” started at the end of February 2013 as SELEC Joint Investigation between Romanian and Bulgarian Law Enforcement authorities in close cooperation with Germany.
The Organized Crime Group (OCG), coordinated by Albanian citizens was involved in transborder heroin trafficking along the Balkan route destined to some Western European countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands and France. The OGC created also a criminal cell in Targu Jiu/ Romania, who was responsible for recruiting Romanian citizens as couriers.