Tirana, September 10 2005 – One of Durres' most successful businessmen, (the main port of the country) was arrested this last Friday under charges of being part of an international organized crime for tobacco’s smuggling in the country.

“Leonard Koka was arrested based on testimonies which proved he was head of an organized tobacco contraband smuggling from Montenegro to Albania”, chief prosecutor of Tirana Penal Court said. This arrest has been consideredThis was one of the most famous arrest even in Albania.

Koka, age 39, is also the brother of the mayor of Durrës, Mr. Lefter Koka, and considered by many a close friend of the ex-Prime Minister Fatos Nano.

After being arrested Mr. Koka smiled in front of the cameras from the police van then raised his fingers doing the victory sign which all in Albania understand as the Democratic Party symbol.

“This is a politically motivated arrest,” the mayor of Durres and brother of the arrested, Mr. Lefter Koka, declared on Saturday. According to the Durres mayor, Mr. Koka, “the arrest of his brother was made by prosecutors who were ordered by Berisha, who is now the new elected Prime Minister of Albania. Prosecutors made this arrest to save their jobs after power takeover” said he.

During the past years, the then leader of the opposition and Democratic Party Mr. Sali Berisha had denounced on multiple occasions the “Duka – Koka Klan ” as the Cupola of the Albanian Mafia.

Mr. Agron Duka, ex-Minister of Agriculture for two year, was accused together with the businessman, Mr. Koka, as being of this clan.

Mr. Duka's family owns multiple businesses in the food and agriculture industry.

Mr. Leonard Koka was arrested after months of close surveillance. In mars of this year, the police sequestered 3.5 million packs of contrabanded cigarettes after which stared a man hunt in search of the owner of the ship transporting the sequestered cigarettes from Montenegro to Durrës.

A week earlier the owner of the sequestered ship, named “Eni”, Mr. Fatmir Zotaj, was arrested and it was due to his testimony that Mr. Koka was recently arrested by the police.

Source: Albanian Economy News