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Suspected Leader of Record Heroin Smuggling Operation Arrested in Albania

The 57-year-old Turkish national is accused of orchestrating the largest heroin seizure in German history and awaits potential extradition to Germany.

  • Nihat Ö., a 57-year-old Turkish man, was arrested at Tirana Airport in Albania under an international warrant issued by the Dresden District Court.
  • He is suspected of organizing and financing the smuggling of 700 kilograms of heroin, seized in August 2022 at the Hamburg port, disguised as a soap shipment.
  • The heroin seizure, totaling 703 kilograms, represents the largest single drug confiscation in German history.
  • The broader investigation, led by the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office and supported by Europol, has already resulted in the conviction of three men for smuggling over two tons of heroin into Germany.
  • Albanian authorities are currently deciding on the suspect's extradition to Germany, while Dutch police have searched properties linked to him in Rotterdam.
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