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ALBANIAN police fighting a booming illegal cannabis industry in the village of Lazaret seized and destroyed more than 10 tons of the drug today.
But the gangs which grow and traffic it have been using heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machine guns to repel officers.
Around 800 police backed by armoured vehicles were deployed around the village as clashes continued for a third day.
The traffickers barricaded themselves in houses in the village centre and used Kalashnikov assault rifles to fire at security forces.
One officer and two civilians were wounded in the fighting but security forces have taken control of most of the village.
So far they have seized and burned 11.3 tons of packed marijuana and 70,000 plants and destroyed two laboratories.
Lazarat, population 5,000, is believed to produce about 900 tons of cannabis a year worth €4.5 billion (£3.6bn) — just under half Albania’s GDP.