The Albanian mafia is a prominent organized crime group that operates internationally, with a strong presence primarily in Europe, but also in South America, North America and parts of Asia. Its international criminal activities include drug trafficking, human trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering, and various other illicit enterprises. The group is known for its ability to infiltrate legitimate businesses and has established connections with other transnational criminal organizations, such as the
'Ndrangheta and the other
Italian crime groups. The Albanian mafia's influence in global criminal networks continues to grow, making it one of the most feared and well-established criminal groups worldwide. Albania experienced a rise in gangs and the drug trade following the economic collapse during the 1990s, caused by the
pyramid schemes in 1997. The economy's reliance on drug trade and smuggling has led the country to be declared as Europe's only
narco-state.
China The Albanian mafia has extended its activities into
China, which was discovered after Chinese authorities uncovered Albanian mafia activity including drug trafficking and prostitution networks. Reports state that the Albanian gangs are involved in drug transporting to various Chinese cities. Further, after smuggling the drugs, they are involved in human smuggling of Chinese nationals to Europe.
Israel The Israeli government has confirmed its concern that Albanian criminal groups has spread its influence in the country's banking system. The
Israeli intelligence agency has called for a close cooperation between
Israel and Albania to combat money laundering. Justice Ministry General Manager, Dr. Guy Rotkopf noted; "this is an important step in international cooperation between our countries to combat money laundering with the force of law and to deepen relations between Israel and other countries."
Australia A lengthy
News Corp Australia investigation has found that an Albanian crime group—led by some of Australia's most wanted men—have established "entrenched infiltration" of almost every level of Australian society and according to
Australian Federal Police: European Organised Crime, primarily the Albanian Mafia is now one of the largest organised crime threats to Australia, so entrenched and disciplined and influential in local communities it has made this a serious challenge to crack. The mostly Australian run group, led by former
Kings Cross identity Vaso Ulić, a
Montenegrin immigrant who left Australia in 2005 never to return, was now networked to become one of the biggest
transnational crime groups in the world importing six
tonnes a year into Australia alone but many more to and from other destinations from
South Africa to Europe, China,
Nigeria and
the Americas with law enforcers from notably the United Kingdom, United States and
Italy involved in their pursuance. Vaso Ulic is a 55-year-old ethnic Montenegrin who migrated to Australia in 1979 and within a few years was working as a small-time foot soldier running drugs and cash along the infamous Golden Mile of Kings Cross but who is now seen as a
kingpin of an organisation so big, very few drug
consignments enter Australia without his knowledge or permission. It has been confirmed the prosecutions office in Montenegro, where Ulic is residing, has an extensive file on Ulic and other figures in the country as part of an international
arrest warrant to break the cartel up. An internal police assessment relayed to the Federal Government claims their criminality now extends worldwide with direct Australian-Albanian Organised Crime links to notorious Mexican and Colombian clans and cartels and
Asian triads including the
14K group, South African crime lords and Italian and
Dutch criminal groups, with predominantly
Melbourne,
Sydney,
Queensland,
South Australia &
Tasmania using
motorcycle gangs as part of the national distribution & enforcement network for the Albanians.
Europe Belgium The Albanian mafia has deep roots in Belgium, and was a topic of a special programme on Belgian
RTBF Channel One. Reporters tried to investigate the roots of Albanian organised crime but have complained that it is too difficult to penetrate the structure and organisation of the Albanian crime groups, although they agreed that the Albanian mafia acts on the model of the Italian one, whose crime is part of the "activities of entire families" and which has a clearly defined hierarchy. In 1989, former
Belgian Prime Minister Paul Vanden Boeynants was kidnapped in a plot organised by Basri Bajrami. Bajrami was acknowledged by authorities as a member of the Albanian mafia at that time. The Albanian crime groups in
Brussels has monopoly over activities such as "narcotics and arms deals", according to Belgian sources. Safet Bajri also known as "Safet Rustemi" is considered by Belgian authorities as a top criminal, involved in drug trafficking business and active between the country and Albania.
France The Albanian mafia in France is described as having a monopoly over many criminal transactions including arms and drug trafficking. The Albanian mafia has a strong foothold in France, which is a key strategy as other primary transactions are overseen in neighbouring countries by different crime families and clans. French media has stated that "In many cities of France, there is a network of the Albanian mafia who are involved in narcotics trafficking and prostitution. It is a highly organized network and is very difficult to find their roots and penetrate it".
Germany The Albanian mafia is involved in smuggling heroin and cocaine into Germany in collusion with Italian,
Armenian and
Chechen mafia groups. The Osmani Brothers are, according to the German Federal Intelligence Service (
Bundesnachrichtendienst), the "most important figures of organized crime in Hamburg and other cities in Germany".
Greece A 2013 report by the Greek security services and Greek police on Albanian organized crime in the Hellenic Republic concluded that the Albanian crime groups controls approximately fifty percent of human trafficking, eighty percent of the retail distribution of
heroin, and ninety percent of the importation of illegal small arms in Greece, and that about fifty percent of armed robberies of homes and businesses in the country were committed by Albanians. The analysis also drew links between
Albanian nationalism and organized crime.
Italy The geographic vicinity, the accessibility to the EU through Italy, and the ties with the Calabrian and
Apulia criminality have all contributed to the expansion of the Albanian criminality on the Italian scenario. Further factors relative to the economy have rendered the Albanian criminality even more competitive. In fact, some organisations which reached Italy in the early 1990s, infiltrated the Lombardy narco-traffic network run by the 'ndrangheta. Albanian mafia leaders have reached stable agreements with the Italian criminal organisations, also with the mafia, so have gained legitimacy in many illegal circuits, diversifying their activities to avoid reasons of conflict with similar host structures. So, Albanian drug trafficking has emerged in
Apulia,
Sicily,
Calabria and
Campania, expanding its drug trafficking operations also in
Lazio,
Lombardy and
Emilia-Romagna. The Albanian mafia is highly involved in the drug trafficking in
Rome, being considered by the investigations as one of the most important organizations active in the Italian capital. In towns on the outskirts of Rome, in particular in
Velletri, the Albanians were also considered for a time to be the main organization dedicated to drug trafficking. One of the most notorious and important criminals of the Albanian mafia operating in and around Rome was
Elvis Demce, arrested in 2022 and sentenced to 18 years in jail. The Albanian mafia is very active in the drug business in the city of
Bari, where it established alliances with the city's crime groups, in particular with the
Strisciuglio clan. Albanian criminal groups are also responsible for trafficking weapons of war into Bari and its
province. Among the figures of the Albanian mafia operating in Bari is Aleksander Hodaj, responsible for massive heroin trafficking between Albania and the city. Among the most important Albanian mobsters active in Italy are: Arben Zogu: boss of a drug trafficking crime group active in Rome. Ismail Rebeshi: drug lord active in the city of
Viterbo and in its
province. Ermal Arapaj: drug lord active in the region of Lazio. Dorian Petoku: one of the most notorious Albanian drug traffickers active in Rome. Janku Kristo Dhimitraq also known as "Janku Kristo", born in 1969, involved in a big drug trafficking scheme with the
Barese Strisciuglio clan. In July 2025, the Prosecutor’s Office of Verona, together with
SPAK (the Albanian Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office) and the
Guardia di Finanza, carried out an investigation targeting the Albanian mafia involved in international cocaine trafficking. The group reinvested drug trafficking proceeds in real estate in the
province of Verona, including a building in
Nogarole Rocca with 30 rental units and another property valued at over 4 million euros. A preventive seizure was ordered on financial assets, company shares, and real estate linked to money laundering. Investigations revealed a Verona-based real estate company receiving large, unusual bank transfers from Albania, connected to two brothers leading the clan, one an international fugitive, the other imprisoned in Belgium for a murder linked to drug trafficking disputes. Italian accomplices, allegedly on the clan’s payroll, were also investigated. The operation involved joint efforts between Italian authorities and SPAK, with financial and telecommunications surveillance confirming complex money laundering activities, including the use of an Albanian fruit and vegetable company to conceal illicit funds. In February 2026, the Italian police launched the “Operazione Ura”, which uncovered connections between the Albanian mafia and the
Parisi-Palermiti clan active in
Bari. The investigation focused on large quantities of heroin and cocaine moved since 2016 between the
Balkans,
Northern Europe,
South America, and the region of
Apulia. Investigators reconstructed what was described as a “communion of interests” between the Albanian mafia, responsible at a transnational level for the commercialization and transfer of narcotics, and the Parisi-Palermiti clan. According to the investigation, members of the Parisi-Palermiti were responsible for the cutting and packaging of the drugs into blocks, which were then sold wholesale to other criminal organizations in the cities of Bari,
Brindisi, and
Lecce interested in receiving high-quality heroin and cocaine originating respectively from
Turkey and South America. According to a report presented in April 2026, the VI regional anti-mafia commission highlights the growing role and increasing autonomy of the Albanian mafia in the region of
Liguria, in
Northwest Italy. The analysis indicates that this criminal presence has evolved from carrying out subordinate tasks to establishing a more significant and consistent role, particularly in the logistical aspects of drug trafficking. Specifically, these groups are involved in the retrieval, storage, and distribution of narcotics, operating in connection with the strategic use of Ligurian ports. The report further notes that this development reflects a now “equal collaboration” with the still-dominant 'Ndrangheta, marking a shift in the balance of organized crime in the region.
Trading route The Albanian mafia reportedly uses specific trading routes to transport narcotics and illegal immigrants to
Italy. Their southern route is via Montenegro and Albania. Access is then gained to Italy by boat.
Sicilian Mafia – Cosa Nostra Since the beginning of the 1990s, Italy has been clamping down hard on the
Sicilian Mafia. According to the deputy director of the
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), at the end of the 1990s the mafia sought to survive this crackdown by forming a "symbiotic" relationship with the Albanian crime families known as
fares, who provided the struggling Sicilians a hand in a number of services in their operations across Italy. Today, both Sicilian mafia groups and the '
Ndrangheta are believed to have franchised out prostitution, gambling, and drug dealing in territories along the Adriatic coast to the Albanians. One CSIS report even claimed that this partnership had proved so successful that the Sicilian mafia established a 'headquarters' in
Vlorë, a coastal town in southern Albania at the close of the 1990s. Albanian clandestine immigrants started arriving at Italian ports in 1991. By 1997, the immigration had come under the control of the Albanian and Italian criminal groups, tightening relationships between them. The Albanian criminal gangs have recently created in Sicily relations of interest with the Cosa Nostra. On 27 July 1999 police in Durrës (Albania), with Italian assistance arrested one of the godfathers of the "
Sacra Corona Unita", one of the main crime groups based in the region of
Apulia. This Albanian link seems to confirm that the Sacra Corona Unita and the Albanian mafia are "partners" in Apulia and delegate several criminal activities. According to the Direzione Investigativa Antimafia, the Albanian mafia has alliances with many Camorra clans, including with the
Mazzarella clan and the
Amato-Pagano clan, both from Naples and with the Serino clan, from
Salerno.
'Ndrangheta In an Albanian television station Top Channel TV, Saviano went on to say that the Albanian and Italian factions are "one of the same", and that they don't consider each other as foreigners. Links to Calabria's mafia, the Ndrangheta, exist in Northern Italy. Several key figures of the Albanian mafia seem to reside frequently in the Calabrian towns of
Africo,
Platì, and
Bovalino (Italy), fiefs of the 'Ndrangheta.\ In November 2025, the Italian police dismantled an international drug trafficking organization composed of members of the
Barbaro 'ndrina and the Albanian mafia. Precautionary measures were executed against 28 suspects. The group organized and carried out international cocaine trafficking from
South America to Italy, particularly
Lombardy, using container ships and the “rip-off” technique to conceal the drugs within legitimate maritime cargo. Over a two-year period, more than 3.5 tons of cocaine were imported, with over 400 kilograms seized in Italy and abroad, for a total value exceeding 27 million euros. The criminal network was based in Lombardy and had branches in several European and non-European countries, using encrypted messaging systems, with investigative support from
Europol and
Eurojust. According to the sources, the criminal association was composed of members of the Barbaro 'ndrina, who formed the core of the organization and was responsible for promoting, directing, financing, organizing and carrying out the international drug trafficking activities, while the Albanian criminals acted as brokers in the trafficking network.
Società foggiana According to numerous reports, the brutal criminal organisation from
Foggia, known as the
Società foggiana has several contacts with the Albanian mafia, particularly regarding to the drug trafficking business, also creating drugs routes from Albania to Foggia. In 2020 the Italian police noticed that there is a scheme in the city of
San Severo, in the
Province of Foggia, between the Albanians and the Società foggiana.
Netherlands According to Dutch police, Albanian crime groups lead the importation of cocaine from South America, the transshipment via the
port of Rotterdam, and the further distribution to other European countries from
Amsterdam. In addition to cocaine trafficking, the Albanian mafia in the Netherlands is also engaged in human trafficking and property fraud. In June 2019, the
government of the Netherlands requested the suspension of
visa-free travel for Albanians, citing claims the Albanian mafia is free to move across Europe because of the visa-free European Union regime.
Scandinavia Kosovar-Albanian criminals first immigrated to Scandinavia during the
Kosovo War of the late 1990s. The Albanian mafia, along with the
Serbian mafia, controls heroin, weapon and sex trafficking in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Law enforcement authorities estimate that various Albanian crime groups may each smuggle as much as 440 pounds of heroin a year into Scandinavia. Albanian crime groups in the region are also involved in armed robberies and heists. According to Kim Kliver, chief investigator for
organised crime with the
Danish National Police, "The ethnic Albanian mafia is very powerful and extremely violent. If you compare them to the Italian Mafia, the Albanians are stronger and not afraid of killing." Naser Xhelili was coined by Swedish authorities as the "Albanian Connection" in
Sweden. The Xhelili clan operations include drugs and arms trafficking in and around Sweden. Fejzulla Haredin, a drug baron and head of a Kosovar-Albanian criminal organization, was on the list of 'Europe's Most Wanted' criminals until his arrest in Madrid in 2024.
Switzerland Geneva Deputy Public Prosecutors state that the Albanian mafia is one of the most powerful ones among eight identified mafias in the world. The Geneva deputy public prosecutors also added that the Albanian mafia "is laundering a part of income in Geneva economy, restaurants, bars, real estate and cabarets". Although specifically known for sex trafficking, particularly in the UK, it's been said that the Albanian mafia's primary illegal business in Europe and the UK in terms of profit margins is now cocaine trafficking. In 2012,
Vice squad officers estimated that "Albanians now control more than 75 per cent of the country's brothels and their operations in London's
Soho alone are worth more than £15 million a year." They were said to be present in every big city in the UK as well as in many smaller ones including
Telford and
Lancaster, after having fought off rival criminals in turf wars. Associate groups within the organizations are said to hide their criminal activities within restaurants, bars, and clubs in an attempt to remain undercover. Albanian gangsters were also involved in the largest cash robbery in British crime history, the £53 million
Securitas heist in 2006. According to the
Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), Albanian crime groups have muscled in on the drug and vice trades within the Scottish underworld. The SCDEA notes that Albanian crime groups have established a foothold in arms and drugs trafficking in Scotland. Albanian mafia in the UK is heavily involved in prostitution and together with Turkish mafia control more than 70% of prostitution market in London. In the last few years Albanian mafia was involved more in drug trafficking (Hellbanianz) than in prostitution and they sold more than 500,000 kilograms of drugs in London alone. Due to their expansive and deep involvement in drug trading, the Albanian Mafia has climbed its way to the top of a five billion euro market (US$5.3 billion). The group uses its connections in South America to ship high quality, low price cocaine, heroin, and marijuana to European countries, specifically the United Kingdom. An article in
The Guardian noted that "the latest UK criminal threat assessment says that the Albanians are unusually skilled at developing relationships and 'forging links with other OCGs [organized crime gangs].'" The cooperation between Albanians and other existing groups has aided in the rapid growth of drug trafficking throughout the United Kingdom's residential regions. In November 2023, an Albanian criminal organization led by brothers Edmund and Edward Haziri faced a
Police raid. A smartphone was recovered and law enforcement bypassed the
Lock screen unlocking troves of
sensitive information related to their operations. In April 2024,
The Times newspaper claimed that the money from Albanian gangs' drugs trade in the UK was turning Tirana into a 'miniature
Dubai'. Among the most important Albanian criminals in UK are: Luan Plakici: the "Vice King" of the Albanian crime groups in the
UK who was jailed for 10 years (later increased to 23 years) for trafficking women after promising them good jobs, Erald Mema a notorious drug trafficker and Fatjon Dauti also a drug trafficker.
North America Canada The Albanian mafia is firmly established in
Canadian cities, such as
Toronto,
Montreal and
Vancouver. Albanians are involved in various white collar activities, such as real estate and
health care fraud. Furthermore, they are engaged in cross-border activity between the
United States and
Canada, which includes drug smuggling and
money laundering. A
Canadian Security Intelligence Service report noted that although organised crime in
Canada has shifted to more multi-ethnic and loosely based structures, the term "mafia" is used only to identify the "big three," which have hierarchical structures that are ethnically, racially, and culturally homogeneous: the Italian, Albanian, and Russian mafias.
United States In the United States, the term "Albanian Mafia" may include or refer specifically to various
Albanian-American organized crime groups, such as the
Rudaj Organization and the
Albanian Boys, both based in
New York City. Albanian criminals started to be active in the country in the mid-80s, mostly participating in low-level crimes, such as burglaries and robberies. Later, most of those Albanian gangs would become affiliated with
Cosa Nostra crime families before eventually growing strong enough to operate their own organisations. The Albanian gangs in the United States has been thought to greatly increase their dominant power and is one of the most violent criminal organisations in operation, particularly with their strong connections in the European Union. During investigations conducted by
FBI experts in the city of New York and surrounding areas against the Albanian mafia, it was noted that the Albanian mafia was too widespread and too secretive to penetrate. Furthermore, although there have been a number of operations performed by the FBI to destroy organised crime such as Italian and Russian factions, the Albanian mafia continues to be widespread in New York in a relatively high number.
Central and South America Honduras According to
WikiLeaks reports, Albanian crime groups are affiliated with various South American politicians, and have set in motion to move their hidden assets in various banks. The WikiLeaks report goes on to state that Albanian crime groups are preying heavily in Central America, where all roads lead to Colombian cocaine. Albanian crime groups are laundering money through banks in Honduras and investing a large amount in construction projects to further gain influence in South America.
Ecuador The Albanian mafia has made its presence felt in Ecuador, primarily through its involvement in the country’s
drug trafficking industry. Ecuador’s strategic location, nestled between
Colombia and
Peru, two of the world’s largest cocaine producers, makes it an important transit point for drug shipments to international markets, particularly Europe. The Albanian crime groups, with its well-established networks in the drug trade, has played a significant role in facilitating the movement of cocaine from Ecuador to Europe, where the organization has a strong foothold. One of the ways the Albanian crime groups operates in Ecuador is through partnerships with local criminal groups, often Colombian and Mexican cartels, but also with local gangs, to ensure that drug shipments move smoothly through the country. Their involvement in the drug trade is marked by the establishment of networks that control distribution routes, as well as logistical operations that help to move drugs from Ecuador’s ports and airports to Europe. In addition to trafficking, the Albanian grime groups has been linked to money laundering activities in Ecuador. They often invest in legitimate businesses such as real estate and hospitality to clean the proceeds of their illicit trade. This helps them blend in with the local economy while continuing to fund and expand their criminal operations. While the Albanian gangsters operates discretely, its influence has not gone unnoticed. Moreover, the Albanian clans are known for using corruption as a means to protect its operations in the country. They may seek to bribe local law enforcement, government officials, or other authorities to shield their activities from investigation or interference, thereby ensuring that their operations continue uninterrupted. Overall, the Albanian crime clan’s influence in Ecuador is primarily linked to the drug trade, where they act as facilitators between local production and international distribution. Their operations contribute to the broader challenges faced by the country, including corruption, violence, and the growth of organized crime networks. Among the most important Albanian criminals operating in Ecuador are: Remzi Azemi, Ilir Hidri (killed in 2017), Adriatik Tresa (killed in 2020), Gentjan Meta and Artur Rrapaj. Numerous analyst and media reports cited the expanding presence of the Albanian mafia as a significant factor contributing to the
2024 conflict in Ecuador. According to a
BBC investigation from 2025, the Albanian mafia has established itself as one of the most powerful drug trafficking networks in Europe by expanding its operations into Ecuador, a key transit country for cocaine coming from Colombia and Peru. The Albanian groups work closely with local gangs such as the
Latin Kings, using bribery, threats, and violence to control the supply chain. Corrupt police officers, port workers, and transport staff are often involved, knowingly or under duress. Ecuadorian gang members, recruited by a corrupt officer, manage logistics at the ports and are paid thousands of dollars per shipment, though refusal can mean death. European demand continues to fuel the crisis, while fake export companies serve as fronts for smuggling operations. The surge in drug trafficking has led to record seizures and unprecedented violence, with January 2025 marking Ecuador’s deadliest month in years. Yet, according to the investigation, weak governance, economic struggles after the pandemic, and previously lax immigration policies have allowed the Albanian mafia to infiltrate the country deeply, turning Ecuador into a critical node in the global cocaine trade. == Groups ==