Friday, May 8, 2009

Albanian diplomat arrested in Turkish drug bust

Associated Press

Albania's Foreign Ministry says one of its senior diplomats has been arrested in Turkey on drug trafficking charges.
A statement issued late Thursday says Agim Haxhiu, second secretary at the Albanian embassy in Skopje, Macedonia, was arrested May 2 in western Turkey after his car was searched by police. He is being held in a prison near Istanbul.

Turkish police were not immediately available for comment.

Albania's Foreign Ministry did not comment on local media reports that Haxhiu was caught with 65 kilograms of heroin, but says he has been stripped of his immunity and will face prosecution in Turkey.

Albania is a transit point for drug trafficking in southeast Europe.