Police have arrested a man after a terrifying arsenal of weapons bound for UK-based Albanian gangsters was found in a van.
Six Glock pistols, a Browning and a Helstar handgun were discovered concealed in a van with UK plates along with more than 200 rounds of ammunition.
The shock find will raise fears that Albanian gangsters based in the UK are upping their game in a bid to seize control through fear of lucrative drug markets across the country.
Officials in the Albanian port of Durres found the guns using a hi-tech scanner and are thought to have been acting on intelligence from British police.
The van – a white Mercedes van registered in the UK – was due to have been driven onto the ferry linking Durres with the Italian port of Brindisi, a two-day drive from the UK.
Albanian media identified the driver as Jermir Kaloshi, who has since told officers he had no idea he was carrying a consignment of guns.
He said: “I’m just a driver. We drive from Kosovo to England, where we serve as a post office.
“We receive packages from Kosovo and taken them to England and receive packages from people there and take them to Kosovo, usually furniture.
“I didn’t know there was a gun in there, if I did, I wouldn’t have taken it. It’s my fault, I should have checked but I didn’t know what was inside.”
Officials at the Albanian Police Special Investigations Unit (SPAK) have told MailOnline the weapons were bought in Serbia and bound for Albanian gangs in London and have given British police a Luton address to look at.
A spokesman told MailOnline: “At this stage of the investigation information stored in the mobile phone of the driver which has a UK SIM card is being investigated and it is crucial to find the other people involved.
“The driver has so far denied all knowledge of the guns saying he was taking food and furniture to the UK.
“This is an ongoing investigation involving law enforcement agencies from several countries.”
Violent gangs from Albania have taken over the drug trade in Britain since they began moving into the country after the fall of Communism in 1990.
(Source: Daily Mail)
(Image: Courtesy of Kosta Korçari, Flickr)
