Italian customs officers seized arms destined for Albania in the southern port of Bari, port authorities said Sunday.
The arms were found hidden in a truck driven by an Albanian, which was waiting to board a ferry Saturday evening.
The truck was officially carrying used furniture, but the officers found six rifles, two with telescopic sights, eight pistols and three stolen Mercedes Benz cars, one of which contained two .357 Magnum revolvers
and two American-made rifles.
More than 1,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers were also discovered.
The seizure comes ahead of a visit by the Albanian President Rexhep Meidani, who is due to arrive in Italy Monday.
It also comes despite calls by Rome for Tirana to increase its efforts to combat organized crime.
The port of Bari is often used by traffickers moving arms between Italy and Albania -- ROME (AFP)
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