The Albanian mafia organizations are rooted in Italy and coexist with the indigenous mafia, and dominate the drug trafficking sector in the North, Center, and South Italy.
What distinguishes the Albanian mafia is that there are few or no persons among them who become collaborators of justice. Vincenzo Musacchio, a lawyer, analyst, and researcher on strategies to combat organized crime and president of the Molise Observatory analyzes the phenomenon of mafia next door, as the Italian media report.
The expert says that the Albanian mafia has been in Italy since the 1990s. “The Albanian mafia has occupied an important place in Italy. Has occupied Italian territory since 1990. At first, the most widespread activity for them was theft, extortion, and prostitution. Similar to the Italian, the Albanian mafia has evolved over time, with drug trafficking as its main activity. They have reached another level and have become more powerful thanks to cooperation with the Italian mafia,” says Musacchio. He adds that the Albanian mafia is the most dangerous of foreigners in Italy, followed by the Nigerian, Chinese and the mafia of countries in Southeast Europe such as Romania and Bulgaria.
The expert also states the places where the Albanian mafia mostly operates.
“So far they have settled in every part of Italian territory, from Lombardy to Molise. Thanks to weapon trafficking and human trafficking they are expanding more and more in our country. The fact that they have drugs in their hands makes them occupy the main bases almost everywhere in Europe. The drug trafficking is a privileged criminal activity, in this way Albania has been called "Canabistan" because of the large production of marijuana exported to Italy and the European Union, but also because of the classification of cocaine coming from South America and for heroin coming from the Middle East. Some scientific studies have recognized the mafia character of Albanian organizations and the history and evolution of gangs from which most of the criminal groups operating in Italy originate. Considering the blood linkage that binds them, Albanian mobsters are similar to Ndrangheta from Calabria," said the anti-mafia expert Vincenzo Musacchio.
He adds that despite being among the most violent mafia, along with Nigerians, the Albanian mobsters have learned that it is not necessary to act violently and loudly and therefore to do business quietly, minimizing the risk of being identified by the police and the judiciary.
Musacchio also has an idea of the relationship between the Italian mafia and the Albanian one.
"It has always been said that they were subjected to local mobsters, but over time the Albanian mobsters, thanks to drug trafficking, today are almost parallel to the Italian ones. Mafia organizations have realized that the war is not inappropriate and therefore cooperate with one another in a utilitarian way for the sole purpose of attracting mutual economic advantages. In Apulia, for example, where numerous investigations into international drug trafficking have been conducted, the relationship between the two criminal groups is clear: there is a perfect symbiosis between the Albanian mafia and the Apulia mafia (Foggia and the Gargano mafia in the first place). a position of absolute equality and full cooperation. A new form of cooperation between the Albanian and Italian mobsters also exists in the construction, tourism and trade sectors in Italy and in Albania itself,” he says.
Furthermore, Musacchio also points to the sectors where the Albanian mafia operates.
“Drugs, human trafficking, human organ trafficking, prostitution, and illegal employment are the main activities of the Albanian mobsters. However, the highest level of cooperation lies in the field of drugs. In this criminal sector, the relationship between the two criminal organizations was more evident. As far as for the drug trafficking, as I have already said, the Albanians are now a guarantee as raw material suppliers and drug dealers that have been established in various European countries and have established lasting relationships with drug traffickers all over the world. Moreover, drug trafficking in Italy has been favored by the progressive formation of Albanian groups in major Italian and European ports. The steady presence of Albanians in some Italian port areas has been and still is present,” he said among other things.
What distinguishes the Albanian mafia is that there are few or no persons among them who become collaborators of justice. Vincenzo Musacchio, a lawyer, analyst, and researcher on strategies to combat organized crime and president of the Molise Observatory analyzes the phenomenon of mafia next door, as the Italian media report.
The expert says that the Albanian mafia has been in Italy since the 1990s. “The Albanian mafia has occupied an important place in Italy. Has occupied Italian territory since 1990. At first, the most widespread activity for them was theft, extortion, and prostitution. Similar to the Italian, the Albanian mafia has evolved over time, with drug trafficking as its main activity. They have reached another level and have become more powerful thanks to cooperation with the Italian mafia,” says Musacchio. He adds that the Albanian mafia is the most dangerous of foreigners in Italy, followed by the Nigerian, Chinese and the mafia of countries in Southeast Europe such as Romania and Bulgaria.
The expert also states the places where the Albanian mafia mostly operates.
“So far they have settled in every part of Italian territory, from Lombardy to Molise. Thanks to weapon trafficking and human trafficking they are expanding more and more in our country. The fact that they have drugs in their hands makes them occupy the main bases almost everywhere in Europe. The drug trafficking is a privileged criminal activity, in this way Albania has been called "Canabistan" because of the large production of marijuana exported to Italy and the European Union, but also because of the classification of cocaine coming from South America and for heroin coming from the Middle East. Some scientific studies have recognized the mafia character of Albanian organizations and the history and evolution of gangs from which most of the criminal groups operating in Italy originate. Considering the blood linkage that binds them, Albanian mobsters are similar to Ndrangheta from Calabria," said the anti-mafia expert Vincenzo Musacchio.
He adds that despite being among the most violent mafia, along with Nigerians, the Albanian mobsters have learned that it is not necessary to act violently and loudly and therefore to do business quietly, minimizing the risk of being identified by the police and the judiciary.
Musacchio also has an idea of the relationship between the Italian mafia and the Albanian one.
"It has always been said that they were subjected to local mobsters, but over time the Albanian mobsters, thanks to drug trafficking, today are almost parallel to the Italian ones. Mafia organizations have realized that the war is not inappropriate and therefore cooperate with one another in a utilitarian way for the sole purpose of attracting mutual economic advantages. In Apulia, for example, where numerous investigations into international drug trafficking have been conducted, the relationship between the two criminal groups is clear: there is a perfect symbiosis between the Albanian mafia and the Apulia mafia (Foggia and the Gargano mafia in the first place). a position of absolute equality and full cooperation. A new form of cooperation between the Albanian and Italian mobsters also exists in the construction, tourism and trade sectors in Italy and in Albania itself,” he says.
Furthermore, Musacchio also points to the sectors where the Albanian mafia operates.
“Drugs, human trafficking, human organ trafficking, prostitution, and illegal employment are the main activities of the Albanian mobsters. However, the highest level of cooperation lies in the field of drugs. In this criminal sector, the relationship between the two criminal organizations was more evident. As far as for the drug trafficking, as I have already said, the Albanians are now a guarantee as raw material suppliers and drug dealers that have been established in various European countries and have established lasting relationships with drug traffickers all over the world. Moreover, drug trafficking in Italy has been favored by the progressive formation of Albanian groups in major Italian and European ports. The steady presence of Albanians in some Italian port areas has been and still is present,” he said among other things.