TIRANA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,600 police officers are engaging in a massive control throughout the territory to identify and prevent drug cultivation, the Albanian State Police said in a press release on Tuesday.
According to the state police, the operation that started on Monday involves the Local Police Directorates, Border Police and other police forces, under the direction of special groups from the General Directorate of State Police.
"1,600 police forces have exercised mass control of the territory in order to crack down on any criminal activity such as the cultivation, production, possession and trafficking of narcotics," said the press release.
As a result, the police have identified two cases of drug cultivation, one in the Highland of Kruja in north central Albania, with 93 plants, and another in Gjorm village in Vlora district in southeastern Albania, with 40 plants.
The police forces are equipped with drones to better check the territory even in difficult terrains.
In this operation, the Albanian police are cooperating with the Italian police "Guardia di Financa" which is engaging in air monitoring, coordinating actions with ground control groups to verify any coordinates where narcotic plants are suspected to be cultivated.
"Territorial control and air monitoring, aiming at the prevention of cultivation and drug trafficking, is to be continued even in the following days," said State Police.
