Serbia: Biggest Cannabis Bust Yet at Southern Border Crossing

Published: 08 December 2014

Presevo municipality

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Customs officers at the Presevo border crossing between southern Serbia and Macedonia have seized nearly a ton of cannabis in the biggest drugs bust at the customs post to date.

 

A truck with Greek registration plates was stopped on Dec.5. It was driven by a 49-year-old Greek citizen with the initials M.G., and was reportedly heading for Croatia. It was searched with a mobile scanner, revealing 375 packages of marijuana totaling 800kg. The drugs were found in a concealed compartment under the floor of the refrigerator trailer, according to the Serbian Ministry of Interior. It is their custom not to reveal the full names of those arrested, giving only initials.

 

According to a UNODC Situation Analysis Report for South Eastern Europe, the value of this quantity of cannabis is about US$1.3 million

Local media reported the driver was detained for 48 hours, charged with drug production and trafficking. He told police that he had no prior knowledge of the cargo, and that the truck had been in Albania for ten days before the trip.