Albanian mafia

Did You Know?

• The typical structure of Albanian crime groups is hierarchical, with a family clan referred to as a fis or a fare, and an executive committee called a Bajrak.
• The Albanian mafia uses the term besa, meaning trust, as a name for their code of honor, and inducted members take a sacred oath.
• The Albanian Mob appears in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV and its expansion packs, operating in the fictional Liberty City.

History

Following the fall of communism in Albania in the early 1990s and the transition to democracy, the country experienced severe political and economic instability. Many citizens turned to illicit activities to survive, and the Albanian mafia began to structure itself, expanding into drug trafficking, smuggling, prostitution, and human trafficking. The lack of government control, collapse of institutions, and widespread poverty allowed these groups to flourish.

Proximity to Italy, Greece, and the former Yugoslavia helped establish international connections, with members involved in the heroin trade from Asia to Europe and arms trafficking. During the 1990s and 2000s, Albanian criminal organizations expanded into Western Europe, particularly Italy, where they operated in cities like Milan and Rome. These groups were highly organized and discreet, using violence, extortion, and threats to maintain control.

Their decentralized structure consists of multiple independent families or clans sharing common goals, known for brutality, loyalty, and tight control over activities, as well as the ability to infiltrate legal and political institutions through corruption.

International activity

The Albanian mafia operates internationally with a strong presence in Europe, South America, North America, and parts of Asia. Its criminal activities include drug trafficking, human trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering, and other illicit enterprises. The group has established connections with transnational criminal organizations such as the 'Ndrangheta and other Italian crime groups. Following the economic collapse caused by pyramid schemes in 1997, Albania experienced a rise in gangs and the drug trade, leading the country to be declared Europe's only narco-state.

Albanian mafia activity has been uncovered in China, involving drug trafficking and prostitution networks, as well as human smuggling of Chinese nationals to Europe. The Israeli government has expressed concern about Albanian criminal groups spreading influence in its banking system, and Israeli intelligence has called for cooperation with Albania to combat money laundering. A News Corp Australia investigation found that an Albanian crime group has achieved entrenched infiltration of almost every level of Australian society, with the Australian Federal Police identifying European organized crime, primarily the Albanian mafia, as one of the largest organized crime threats to Australia.

Groups

Kompania Bello is considered the most powerful crime group of the Albanian mafia and one of the most active cocaine trafficking networks in Europe. Led by Dritan Rexhepi, who operated from Ecuador, the group smuggled large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe, controlling the entire chain from negotiation with cartels to distribution across countries including Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. A five-year international investigation involving law enforcement from 10 countries, coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, resulted in the arrest of over 100 members in an operation called Los Blancos.

Nearly 4 tonnes of cocaine and over €5.5 million in cash were seized. Rexhepi used encrypted communications and hidden compartments in vehicles for smuggling, laundering profits through the underground fei ch’ien remittance system. Despite his arrest in 2014 and imprisonment in Ecuador, Rexhepi continued to lead the cartel from prison, maintaining a global network across Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

Notable members

Alfred Shkurti, also known as Aldo Bare, is the boss of the Lushnja Band, one of the most notorious organized crime groups in Albania with international operations. Elvis Demçe, an important Albanian mafia boss active in Italy, mainly in the Lazio region, sought to dominate the drug trade after the death of his associate Fabrizio Piscitelli. He was involved in violent extortion, drug trafficking with international cartels, and rivalries with other Albanian criminals, leading to shootings and arson until his arrest.

Lulzim Berisha leads a notorious clan based in Durrës, Albania, known as Banda e Lul Berishës, engaged in drug and arms trafficking throughout Europe, with operations spanning Turkey, Bulgaria, Italy, and Germany. Artur Ndreka, also known as the boss, rose through the ranks in Rome under the protection of prominent Albanian criminals, controlling drug trafficking in areas like Acilia and Vitinia in Lazio. His criminal empire collapsed after an Italian investigation led to his arrest and that of his brother.