Former Anti-Drug Albanian Police Officer Antonio Nazeraj, gains asylum in the Netherlands

Antonio Nazeraj

 The former anti-drug officer in Fier, Antonio Nazeraj, has been granted asylum in the Netherlands. He has been for eight years an anti-drug officer in the city of Fier, and yesterday, he and his family have been protected by the Dutch law. Nazeraj along with Dritan Zagani were part of the Fier Anti-Drug Unit. Also, Nazeraj resigned from the police in 2017. In an interview to Dutch media, Nazeraj had clearly expressed the fear of returning to Albania. He claimed in August 2018 that he feared the extradition to Albania.

"I do not see Albania as a safe place for myself, I am afraid of the criminal groups I have previously investigated, who have taken control of drug trafficking and are receiving strong political support," said Nazeraj. He further stressed that if he returned (in case of extradition) to Albania he would be dead because he had investigated many criminal groups, which, as Nazeraj declared in August last year, the groups investigated by him had support also from the politics.

"When I return to Albania, I'm 100 percent dead," he told the Dutch media in August 2018.