Albanian mafia
Mafia shqiptare | |
| Founded | 1990s |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Albania |
| Years active | Since the late 20th century |
| Territory | Territories with established structures with significant operational activities are in Albania, Italy and United Kingdom in Europe, and in Ecuador in South America. The Albanian mafia also operates in other countries with varying degrees of presence. |
| Ethnicity | Albanians |
| Criminal activities | Arms trafficking, arson, assault, bribery, drug trafficking, extortion, fencing, loan sharking, money laundering, murder, racketeering, robbery, sex trafficking, smuggling, theft, vehicle theft |
| Notable members | List of members |
Albanian mafia or Albanian organized crime (Albanian: Mafia shqiptare) are the general terms used for criminal organizations based in Albania or composed of ethnic Albanians. Albanian organized crime is active mostly in Europe and South America, but also in various other parts of the world, including the Middle East and Asia. The Albanian criminal groups participate in a diverse range of criminal enterprises including trafficking in drugs, arms, and humans. Due to their close ties with the 'Ndrangheta of Calabria, they control a large part of the billion dollar wholesale cocaine market in Europe and appear to be the primary distributors of cocaine in various European drug hubs including London. Albanian organized crime is characterized by diversified criminal enterprises which, in their complexity, demonstrate a very high criminal capacity.
The Albanian criminal groups has monopolized various international affiliations, from as far east as Israel to as far west as South America. These reports primarily indicate a strong connection between politicians and various Albanian crime groups. According to the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS), Albanian crime groups are hybrid organizations (i.e. composed of people from various sectors of society), and are often involved in both criminal and political activities.
The Albanian mafia constitutes one of the highest crime generating elements in the world, combining the "traditional" characteristics of organized crime – its rigid internal discipline, its clan structure, its "endogamic closure" (marrying within the organization) which increases the organization's impermeability, and its internal cohesion – with modern and innovative characteristics, such as transnationality. The massive logistic capacity and the diverse nature of Albanian organized crime has facilitated its establishment outside the mother country and its integration with local criminal elements.