Balkans Escobar runs free as US Ambassador points the finger at Albanian authorities

Tirana (Tirana Echo) – US Ambassador to Albania Donald Lu dropped harsh accusations yesterday regarding the lack of will to arrest Klement Balili, the so called “Escobar of the Balkans”, despite repeated US requests to arrest the drug baron who reportedly still runs free in Albania.

Speaking at a conference on human rights in Tirana, US Ambassador Donald Lu said that politics and the justice system are protecting Balili who is allegedly hiding somewhere between the south of Albania and its capital Tirana.

“Politicians in Albania, from the left and the right have paid attention to the huge interests of big corrupt businessmen, to the big criminals and also to drug traffickers. Otherwise, how can we explain that an untouchable drug baron such as Klement Balili runs still free?” said Lu during his speech.

According to local media reports, Balili has been able to escape the search of over 200 police officers while his brother recently claimed that he was walking freely in Tirana, even passing by the General prosecutor’s office one day.

US authorities have asked the prosecutor’s office to issue an arrest warrant for Balili while neighboring country Greece has arrested all close collaborators of Balili and provided Albanian authorities with hundreds of pages of information on the drug trafficking activities run by Balili and his friends.

“If Albania is unable to catch Klement Balili, how can it go after the big fish? Who would believe that this is a serious country in its fight against drug trafficking? The United States have told Albania that our future cooperation on narcotics depends on the arrest and criminal proceedings of big fish from Albania, including Balili”, said US Ambassador Lu in Tirana.