The 37 packages of cocaine seized on September 14 at the Port of Durrës are suspected of being connected to an Albanian drug-trafficking group targeted by Belgian authorities in a parallel operation, according to Albanian media reports.

The cocaine was discovered outside a refrigerated container carrying chicken meat from Brazil. The shipment had reportedly previously transited through Greece. No arrests have been reported in Albania in connection with the seized drugs, and the intended destination and individuals behind the shipment remain under investigation.

The suspected link was highlighted by Kristof Aerts, a spokesperson for the Antwerp Prosecutor’s Office, who said the Belgian investigation had involved close cooperation with several countries and Europol. He confirmed that a 37-kilogram cocaine shipment had been seized in Albania in a refrigerated container as part of the investigation.

The case has reportedly been referred to Albania’s Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK), which is expected to take over the broader investigation.

Belgian authorities arrested eight people in the operation targeting an Albanian trafficking network in Antwerp. The group is reportedly linked to Gerd Gjinarari, known as “The General,” who was arrested in Belgium in June.

Belgian investigators allege that one of the suspects, an Albanian national, acted as an intermediary between criminal groups in Albania and Latin America, facilitating the import of large quantities of cocaine through the Port of Antwerp.

Investigators are now expected to determine whether the cocaine seized in Durrës was part of the same trafficking network and identify those responsible for the shipment.