Turkish drug lord, partner of Iranian Naci Zindasti, arrested in Albania
Europol officers. (Europol Photo)
A Turkish national, identified as a prominent drug trafficker and associate of Iranian drug lord Naci Zindasti, was arrested in Albania during a joint operation involving local police, Germany and Europol.
The 57-year-old, identified as N.O., is suspected of orchestrating major drug trafficking operations between Iran and Europe, according to Europol’s report.
The investigation was led by the German authorities with the support of the Netherlands and Europol. Over the past few months, the authorities involved joined forces within the framework of an Operational Taskforce (OTF) set up at Europol to gather intelligence and coordinate the operational activities.
A single dose of a two-digit milligram consumption unit of heroin can be fatal to the consumer. The suspect is now awaiting his extradition to Germany.
Europol
N.O. arrested in joint operation in Albania
Authorities say N.O. was detained at the Rinas Airport after traveling from Türkiye. He is accused of overseeing the shipment of 703 kilograms of heroin seized in Hamburg, Germany, in 2022.
The narcotics were reportedly transported via containers from Iran to Dubai and onward to Hamburg, concealed in soap shipments.
On Nov. 23, a 57-year-old Turkish citizen was arrested in Albania. Residential and business properties linked to the suspect and his girlfriend were searched in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The suspect, one of Europol’s high-value targets, is suspected of heading a criminal network responsible for the large-scale import of heroin into Western Europe.
Europol
The investigation was able to link the suspect to the seizure of 703 kilos of heroin in the port of Hamburg in Germany in Aug. 30, 2022. The heroin was hidden in a container shipment of soap originating from Iran.
Connection to past operations
N.O. is believed to have facilitated multiple drug operations between 2019 and 2022, totaling 1.3 tons of narcotics smuggled into Europe.
While his name has not surfaced in drug-related activities in Türkiye, a source speaking to Duvar, a Turkish media outlet, said his operations have been under investigation by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Albanian authorities have confirmed that N.O. is awaiting extradition to Germany, where he faces charges related to the 2022 Hamburg case.
Simultaneously, Dutch police searched the residence of N.O.’s girlfriend as part of the investigation.
Authorities involved in this investigation
- Germany: Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) and Prosecutor’s Office in Dresden/Germany
- Netherlands: Netherlands Police—National Investigations and Special Operations Unit and Netherlands Public Prosecutors Service—National Public Prosecutor’s Office.
- Albania: Border Police
- Europol: European Serious Organized Crime Centre
N.O. is known to have collaborated with Naci Zindasti, an Iranian drug kingpin with a history of large-scale narcotics trafficking in Europe.
