European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction: The influence of Albanian drug groups and gangs is increasing in EU countries

The influence of drug groups and Albanian-speaking gangs is increasing in the countries of the European Union, while the Western Balkans region is at the crossroads of several major drug trafficking routes. Cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and synthetic drugs are smuggled in and out of the region, according to a report by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDA), Albanian Politiko reports.

The report states that infrastructure linked to EU countries is increasingly being exploited by Western Balkan gangs, "where some networks now appear to be involved in the entire supply chain, from production in South America to import into the EU, both wholesale and local distribution".

EMCDA emphasizes that the high demand for drugs and the high profits from the trade are the key reasons that encouraged drug gangs from the Albanian-speaking area to engage in illegal trade.

"Criminal networks in the Western Balkans have a significant impact on security, governance, and the rule of law in the region. It appears that some of these networks are also active in the EU, participating in the production, trade, and distribution of drugs. It appears that criminal networks from the Western Balkans are poly-criminal, often engaged primarily in drug trafficking, but also in other illegal activities, including arms smuggling, human trafficking, and money laundering," the report states.

According to reports, criminal networks from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia are involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including the theft of cars and other luxury goods. Gangs from Albania have reportedly gained a reputation for robbing real estate and luxury cars in Western Europe.
Also, according to the report, there are indications that Albanian criminal networks have recently been involved in extensive drug trafficking, including close ties to the Italian mafia "Ndrangheta".

Involvement in the cocaine trade appears to have been a game-changer for Western Balkan drug gang networks, leading to their emergence as key players in the EU drug market. These groups have gradually increased their involvement in the cocaine trade and now organize human trafficking operations from Latin America directly to European ports.

Their involvement in the cocaine trade is focused on two strategic points for transporting narcotics, Belgium and the Netherlands. These two countries are chosen probably due to the central role that the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam now play in the import of medicines from the EU.

Groups from the Western Balkans are now also significant players in the cocaine, heroin, and cannabis markets in other European countries, such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.

Based on available data, the average retail price of herbal cannabis in the region between 2018 and 2020 was around six euros per gram, with Albania having the lowest average price (four euros/g) and Serbia having the highest (7.4 euros/ g). Users can buy herbal cannabis in quantities of 0.8 to 1.2 grams for as little as four euros in Albania - where 10 grams can be bought at a discounted price of around 30 euros.

The availability of cocaine in the EU is at its peak, with record amounts seized in Europe every year since 2017. Although there have been some major drug seizures in the Western Balkans region in the past, data still suggest that, overall, cocaine trafficking in the region is very limited compared to large EU countries.

Preliminary data on seizures in 2021 and 2022 show that the role played by seaports in the Western Balkan region, especially in Albania and Montenegro, could be increasing.

For example, the media reports that 143 kilograms of cocaine were seized in the port of Durres, Albania, in April 2021 and 119 kilograms in December 2021. In the port of Tivat, Montenegro, 1.4 tons of cocaine were seized in August 2021, and the seizure of 500 kilograms was reported in January 2022.

Kosovo seized a shipment of 400 kilograms of cocaine in May 2021 after it was smuggled through the Albanian port of Durres.