Europe's New Cocaine Kings: The Albanian Mafia | The War on Drugs

Summary by Krater

This video examines how Albanian organized crime networks rose to dominate the international cocaine and cannabis trade in Europe, bypassing traditional middle-men through direct supplier relationships in South America.

From the video

Answers: How did Albanian criminal networks take over the European cocaine trade?

• Albanian mafia
• international cocaine trade
• drug trafficking networks
• organized crime in Europe
• Cannabis production in Albania

What it concludes

• Albanian criminal groups overtook all rivals to become key players in global drug trafficking.
• The 1990s fall of the communist regime and subsequent financial crises enabled former security personnel to enter organized crime.
• Albanian traffickers bypassed traditional intermediaries by forging direct relationships with South American cartels.
• Albanian criminal groups maintain internal discipline through threats of violence against family members back home.
• Albanian organized crime success is driven by business efficiency, mobility, and deep integration into ruling classes rather than unique violence.