Albanian-speaking and Western Balkan criminal networks have become especially prominent in procuring large quantities of cocaine directly at source - cutting out the middleman, pointed out Europol in its latest report in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The report highlighted that now Albanian groups operate in full autonomy and order the cocaine directly at source. “Some reports indicate that starting in 2012, Albanian-speaking groups developed influence in key ports both in South America (the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador) as well as Europe (initially in Belgium and the Netherlands and subsequently in Germany and Spain), and were also engaged in the distribution in Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and even Australia,” it noted.

The report found that Albanian-speaking groups have established a presence in source regions and their own wholesale supply chain to Europe.

An estimated 266 Albanian nationals have been arrested from 2018 to 2020 for trafficking cocaine, followed by Brazilians, Colombians, and Nigerians. “Since 2010, Italy, Germany, and Belgium have consistently identified Albanian among the top ten nationalities of individuals brought into formal contact with police for cocaine,” said the report.

The report made mention of a history of collaboration enabling criminal groups to expand their activities illustrated by the current ability of Albanian-speaking groups to operate within Italy in cooperation with Italian organized crime groups.

According to Europol’s latest report, the increasingly globalized, interconnected, digitalized and technologically sophisticated nature of society, as well as a growing affluent demographic in some regions where cocaine use has traditionally been low, can potentially catalyse and accelerate the dynamism and expansion of the market.

In a Twitter post with regard to Europol report, EPP Group standing and monitoring rapporteur on Albania, David Lega, pointed out that some Balkan countries, including Albania, are part of the international cocaine trade, and called on Albania to further strengthen the fight against organized crime.

“Several sources corroborate the expanded role of Balkan groups in the international trade of cocaine and authorities from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Switzerland and Belgium identified Albanian groups being particularly active,” he wrote.