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Report: How Albanian groups have expanded cocaine trafficking activity in Europe

2022-11-25 08:21:04Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Report: How Albanian groups have expanded cocaine trafficking activity in Europe

The role of Albanian-speaking groups in cocaine trafficking in Europe turns out to have increased in recent years according to the latest report of the "European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction" (EMCDDA), which analyzed the drug situation in the Western Balkans.

Albanian groups have managed to become independent actors with direct connections in Latin America, strengthening their position in European markets and rapidly expanding markets.

Cocaine trafficking from the Ports of Albania and Montenegro is estimated to be increasing. Traffickers use sophisticated communication and payment methods. While the report states that the cultivation of cannabis in outdoor spaces in the country has decreased.

The report explains how Albanian-speaking groups have managed to infiltrate the entire cocaine trade chain, from importation to distribution.

“Historically, in the EU, groups involved in importing large volumes of cocaine tended to work separately from the wholesalers and gangs responsible for distributing the drug through local drug markets. Recently, there have been cases of some Albanian-speaking criminal networks that seem to have moved away from this model and taken control of the import and distribution of drugs.

For example, one network is known to have used sophisticated encrypted communications technologies to maintain contact with the organization's leader, based in Ecuador, who negotiated directly with South American drug cartels and arranged large shipments of cocaine to major ports. in Europe.

Collaborators based in Italy, the Netherlands and Albania facilitated this process and were also responsible for distribution to consumers. Cocaine was smuggled across European borders hidden in vehicles equipped with secret compartments, and criminals laundered their proceeds using an alternative on-the-ground delivery system of Chinese origin known as the fei ch'ien system, similar to the the transfer of haËala", the report states.

As a result, Albanian-speaking criminal networks seem to have become independent actors with direct links to Latin America, whereas previously they seemed to work mainly through Italian criminal networks. That's not to say, according to the report, that ties to Italian groups don't continue to exist, but that the two sides now appear to be working together in different parts of the world in ways that are mutually beneficial.

"Overall, there is now a significant amount of information suggesting that Albanian-speaking networks have expanded their cocaine-related activities to more EU countries since 2017 and that they are also playing a more prominent role in the market of cocaine in many countries, with activities including involvement in street-level distribution".

Criminal networks in the Western Balkans appear to have become major players in the regional and EU drug market. This is partly attributed to the geographical position of the Balkans, which is positioned at the intersection of the main drug trafficking routes but also potential routes for the development of other drugs, including cocaine. These criminal networks affect security, governance and the rule of law in the region.

Cannabis, cocaine, heroin, synthetic drugs are smuggled in and out of the region.
According to the map published in the report, Vlora and Durrës serve as exit points for cannabis towards Italy. While cocaine enters Albania and then goes to North Macedonia.

The Port of Durrës serves as an exit point for heroine as well. (see map: Main drug trafficking routes in the Western Balkans). According to the report, there are some indications that cannabis produced in the Western Balkans is trafficked to Turkey, where it is exchanged for heroin.

 

The weight of the ports of Albania and Montenegro in cocaine trafficking is increasing

Recent cocaine seizures indicate that traffic through seaports in the Western Balkans, particularly in Albania and Montenegro, may have increased, although the quantities involved are still very small compared to the quantities seized at the EU's main ports of entry. of, the report emphasizes.

"While criminal networks from the Western Balkans appear to be mainly involved in the importation of cocaine through major EU ports, an increase in cocaine traffic through ports in Albania and Montenegro, as well as several other EU countries, has been reported. of the EU, like Romania.

This suggests that these networks have diversified their tactics for moving drugs into the EU market, which could represent a significant threat in the future, especially in the context of greater investment being made in interdiction measures at ports. main known entry points for drug trafficking in the EU".

Drugs enter the Western Balkans from different routes. Cocaine and heroin enter through Adriatic ports, which have increased in importance for criminal networks, especially landlocked ones.

This phenomenon has also affected the security of the cities located near these ports (e.g. the port of Durrës in Albania and the port of Tivar in Montenegro), since a number of criminal activities take root in these places where the importation and shipments of drugs through corrupt practices or agreements related to the storage, transportation and laundering of money.

Major players in the cocaine market

Information from law enforcement sources suggests that Western Balkan criminal networks have become major players in the EU cocaine market. Often, this involvement is in the entire supply chain from receiving the drug in Latin America, importing it to EU and Western Balkan ports and distribution in European countries.

Criminal networks have strong ties in the Western Balkans. They are the main players in the cocaine market in the EU and drug movements from Latin America to European ports. The latter are present in key cocaine export or import countries in both Latin America and the EU.

The increase in cocaine production in South America has created new opportunities for criminal networks in the Western Balkans to smuggle large quantities of cocaine directly to the Balkans and Europe. Cutting out middlemen has created opportunities for these networks to amass high profits.

There are also indications that Albanian criminal networks have recently been involved in extensive drug trafficking, including reports that they have close cooperation ties with the Italian 'Ndrangheta.

The sophistication of criminal groups in the communication and use of cryptocurrencies

According to the report, globalization and transport infrastructure are increasingly being exploited by criminal networks in the Western Balkans. This is most evident for cocaine, for the networks involved throughout the supply chain from production in South America to import into the EU.

High demand for drugs and high profits have encouraged Western Balkan criminal networks to become involved in many points of the illicit drug supply chain.

Criminal networks use encrypted communications, online marketplaces and cryptocurrencies to evade law enforcement. This shows that technology and digital innovations are bringing benefits to criminal networks involved in the production, trafficking and laundering of drug money.

In general, Western Balkan criminal networks appear to use violence in a strategic and controlled manner, mainly to maintain their credibility through intimidation, which is reported to be a key feature of their business model in the cocaine trade.

Corruption in the region also acts as a facilitator for the establishment and expansion of criminal networks in the Western Balkans.

With a little cannabis

The report states that the pattern of cannabis cultivation is changing. Significantly less cannabis is being cultivated in the external areas of Albania, while the cultivation in the internal environments has increased in more countries in the region.

Several criminal networks from the Western Balkans have adopted a new business model in the production of cannabis within the EU.

Their presence has been noticed in a number of EU countries. Cannabis cultivation patterns in the region are increasingly diversifying. In Albania, less cannabis is being cultivated outdoors than in the past, while in other countries of the region, large-scale cannabis cultivation areas have been registered.

"Overall, Albania currently does not appear to be a significant source of herbal cannabis for the EU market as it was prior to 2018," the report states.


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