Two British nationals could face up to 15 years in prison in Albania after being charged with possession and supply of illegal drugs during a music festival on the country’s southern coast, authorities said.
Jordan Benoit, 34, and James Calder, 33, were arrested in the seaside resort town of Dhërmi, where they allegedly sold MDMA, ketamine and ecstasy at the Kala music festival earlier this month.
Police said the arrests were part of an operation codenamed “Cocktail,” during which officers searched a Mitsubishi vehicle belonging to the suspects and raided a rented property in the village. Authorities say they seized 52 doses of MDMA, 51 doses of ketamine, 120 ecstasy pills, €6,185 and £720 in cash, along with four mobile phones.
A judge ordered the pair to be held in custody following a court hearing last week.
Under Albanian law, drug supply offenses can carry sentences of up to 15 years in prison, according to the UK Foreign Office.
Around 4,000 British citizens attended this year’s edition of the Kala festival, held from June 4 to 11 and headlined by UK jazz collective Ezra Collective.
Albanian police officials say the summer tourist season often sees an influx of synthetic drugs into the country, partly fueled by foreign visitors.
“The fight against narcotics intensifies during the tourist season,” said police chief Elidon Cela. “In addition to local criminal elements, we are seeing foreign tourists bringing synthetic drugs into our country for distribution.”
The case comes amid a string of high-profile arrests of British citizens abroad on drug charges. More than 50 Britons have reportedly been detained in Thailand in the past year for cannabis smuggling, with some cases carrying the possibility of the death penalty in countries like Indonesia.
In May, an 18-year-old woman from Teesside was detained in Georgia for allegedly attempting to smuggle cannabis in her luggage, while a former flight attendant from South London was arrested in Sri Lanka with over 46 kilograms of marijuana. Another British woman was recently detained at Munich Airport on suspicion of carrying cannabis from Thailand.