Transit point/ EU criminal groups strong links with Durrës

2024-04-04 16:23:00, Kronika CNA

Transit point/ EU criminal groups strong links with Durrës

Illustrative photo

The 2023 SPAK report reveals that criminal groups involved in drug trafficking in the markets of EU countries have strong ties to Durrës.

Due to the largest port in the country, the city of Durrës has been and continues to remain a transit point for drugs, which come from the Eastern Balkans and go to Italy and other Western European countries. Criminal groups in this category traffic significant amounts of cocaine and marijuana, but smaller amounts of heroin.

What should be underlined is that the quality of the drugs trafficked by these criminal groups is of a high quality, which is also a competitive advantage of them against criminal groups of other nationalities.

“Criminal groups involved in the trafficking of all major drugs: these groups are active in UK and EU criminal markets, mainly Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece and Germany. It is noted that these criminal groups have a strong presence or connection in the Durrës area. Due to the largest port in the country, the city of Durrës has been and continues to remain a transit point for drugs, which come from the Eastern Balkans and go to Italy and other Western European countries. Criminal groups in this category traffic significant amounts of cocaine and marijuana, but smaller amounts of heroin.

What should be underlined is that the quality of the drugs trafficked by these criminal groups is of a high quality, which is also a competitive advantage of them against criminal groups of other nationalities. Based on the average membership of Albanian criminal groups, these groups can be categorized as groups with a high number of members.

The average membership of these groups is over 20 people. These criminal groups are also distinguished by the lifespan of their criminal activity, which from the moment of the start of the criminal activity to their arrest can go up to 7 years on average. Such criminal groups operate with a semi-hierarchical structure, where the leader allows members with key roles in the organization to have autonomy in decision-making within the functions and structures they lead.

Mainly the leader represents and directs the organization, while other key members are involved in coordination, transportation, trafficking, recruitment and corruption of public officials, in order to have access to entry and receiving points of narcotic quantities and to neutralize law enforcement agencies", he emphasizes. report./ CNA