Liam Neeson isn't the only one who can take down the Albanian mafia: federal agents and the NYPD initiated a massive cross-state bust of an international drug smuggling ring run by the Albanian mafia earlier today. The DEA-initiated raid nabbed at least 27 of 37 alleged members all across New York, who smuggled everything from marijuana, to cocaine, to prescription pills and ecstasy.
Feds say that the ring specialized in smuggling large quantities of hydroponically-grown marijuana from Canada into New York; they brought in ecstasy from the Netherlands and Canada, and cocaine from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. The ring also procured large amounts of cocaine made in America, and shipped it to Europe and Albania via hidden compartments inside luxury automobiles that were shipped from supposedly "legitimate" car dealerships. Among those charged in the ring were reputed ringleaders Gjavit "Doc" Thaqi, Arif "The Bear" Kurti and Gjevelin Berisha.
Kurti is already serving a five-year sentence in Albania for heroin trafficking, but according to Assistant US Attorney Steven Tiscione, "continues to direct syndicate operations through his use of smuggled cellular telephones and BlackBerry devices." Feds also linked today's massive bust to Albanian mobster Bajram "Van Damme" Lajqi, a hitman who was arrested last month after he lost his cool during a hit on an associate involved with the Canadian drug smuggling.
