A large-scale operation by Belgian authorities has led to the arrest of an Albanian group suspected of involvement in international cocaine trafficking. A total of eight people have been arrested, while four of them have been placed under house arrest. Among those arrested is Albanian Gerd Gjinarari, 52, known by the nickname “The General”. The Belgian police investigation began about a year ago, after authorities received information that an apartment in the Berchem area of Antwerp could be used to store large quantities of cocaine.
At the center of the investigation was a 48-year-old man who allegedly played the role of an intermediary between Albanian criminal groups and Latin American networks. According to Belgian investigators, he coordinated activities related to the transportation of cocaine, the removal of cargoes from the port of Antwerp and their subsequent distribution.
Authorities suspect that the 48-year-old also provided people who helped carry out the trafficking, including security personnel, while leading the groups responsible for receiving drug shipments from the port. As part of this investigation, the police had previously managed to seize two shipments of cocaine, weighing 46 and 53 kilograms respectively. The latest checks were carried out in several areas of Antwerp, including Berchem, Deurne and Kapellen, as well as in various areas of Brussels. During the checks, hidden weapons and ammunition, bulletproof vests, signal jamming equipment, amounts of cash and machines for counting them were found.
The list of seized items also included forged passports and press cards, as well as presses and molds that were allegedly used to produce cocaine blocks.
Among those arrested is Gerd Gjinarari, 52, known as “The General.” His name had become known to Belgian authorities several months earlier, after he was arrested in June by the Federal Police’s FAST team. At that time, Gjinarari was internationally wanted by Italian authorities for a murder committed in 1997. The circumstances of how he was released after his first arrest are still unknown.
Now, a few months later, the Albanian has been arrested again, this time as part of a Belgian investigation into international cocaine trafficking. According to Italian authorities, “The General” is suspected of killing a rival in a hospital in Milan in 1997. According to the charges, he used a pistol hidden in a bouquet of flowers. After his arrest in June, extradition proceedings to Italy were still in progress. Meanwhile, Gjinarari is now facing a new investigation in Belgium over suspicions of cocaine trafficking.
