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There has been an increase in cocaine trafficking in the ports of Albania and Montenegro in recent years.
The finding was made by the Drug Report, recently published by the European Center for Drug Monitoring (EMCDDA).
“Individual seizures in 2020 and 2021 may suggest that cocaine trafficking through ports in the Western Balkans region, particularly in Albania and Montenegro, may have increased. For example, 143 kilograms were seized in the port of Durres, Albania in April 2021, while 1.4 tons were seized in August 2021 and 500 kilograms in January 2022 in the port of Bar, Montenegro. “Montenegrin authorities also suspect that more than 3 tonnes were smuggled through the port of Bar in the second half of 2021. Furthermore, Kosovo seized a shipment of 400 kilograms of cocaine in May 2021 after being smuggled through the Albanian port of Durres.” in the report.
The report notes the fact that Albanian-speaking groups have increased traffic in other European ports as well.
Most of the cocaine available in Europe continues to be smuggled into the largest EU container ports located in Belgium (AntWerp), the Netherlands (Rotterdam) and Spain (Valencia and Algeciras). In addition to Hamburg (Germany), ports in France (Le Havre, Dunkerque, Marseille), Romania (Constanta) and Italy (Gioia Tauro), for example, have also become important cocaine entry points. “German authorities attribute the recent increase in seizures in the port of Hamburg to the activities of Balkan and Albanian-speaking organized crime networks.”
The report states that Albanian-speaking groups have been attracted in recent years by the high profit rates of this market.
“Substantial profits related to the cocaine trade have attracted many EU-based criminal networks to be involved in this market. Some of them operate in the main distribution centers of the EU and also organize shipments from countries of origin and transit to the EU. Most of the criminal networks reported at Europol have been active for more than 10 years, with some actors playing a key role for decades, such as Italian networks, while new players are looking for a larger share of the market. cocaine. such as Albanian, Belgian, British, Dutch, French, Irish, Moroccan, Serbian, Spanish and Turkish networks ”.
The EMCDDA estimates that the EU cocaine retail market was worth at least € 10.5 billion (from € 7.7 billion to € 12.8 billion) in 2020. This represents about a third of the illicit market for all drugs and makes it cocaine the second largest market, after cannabis.
Earlier, the report mentioned the growing role of Albanian-speaking groups in the cocaine market in Europe, which has expanded significantly since 2017. Criminal networks from the Western Balkans region, especially Albanian-speaking ones, have emerged in the last 10 years as key players in cocaine market in the EU.
“For years, international cocaine importers worked separately from wholesalers and gangs distributing drugs on the streets. However, an Albanian-speaking criminal network abandoned this model and established control over imports and distribution. Using sophisticated coded means of communication, the Ecuador-based leader of the organization negotiated directly with South American drug cartels, organized large shipments of cocaine to major European ports, and, with the help of Italy-based associates, The Netherlands and Albania also organized distribution to consumers throughout Europe. Cocaine was smuggled across European borders hidden in vehicles equipped with hidden compartments. The criminals laundered their proceeds using an alternative underground remittance system of Chinese origin, known as the fei ch’ien system, similar to the hawala transfer system, the report said./Monitor.al
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