Two British men, Jordan Benoit, 34, and James Calder, 33, have been arrested and charged in Albania for possession and supply of drugs, following allegations that they were selling MDMA, ketamine, and ecstasy at the Kala music festival in Dhermi.
The seaside resort of Dhermi, known for its picturesque coastline, hosted the festival from June 4 to 11, attracting around 4,000 British attendees this year, including headline act Ezra Collective.
Albanian police launched an operation dubbed “Cocktail,” during which officers searched a Mitsubishi vehicle registered to the pair and raided a property they rented in the village. Authorities reportedly found 52 doses of MDMA, 51 doses of ketamine, 120 ecstasy pills, €6,185 (£5,264), £720 in cash, and four mobile phones.
At a recent court hearing, Benoit and Calder were remanded in custody as they await trial. Under Albanian law, supplying drugs carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Albanian Police Chief Elidon Cela warned that the coastal region is seeing increased drug trafficking during the busy tourist season, with both local criminals and foreign visitors involved in synthetic narcotics distribution.
This case adds to a growing list of British nationals arrested abroad on drug charges in recent months, including over 50 arrests in Thailand for cannabis smuggling and three facing the death penalty in Bali for trafficking offenses.
