411 million euros of drugs/ The route is revealed, the criminal group hid it in crates of bananas and bags of cocoa

2025-07-26 15:22:00, Aktualitet CNA

411 million euros of drugs/ The route is revealed, the criminal group hid it in

SPAK has cracked down on an international drug trafficking network, for which 16 people have been placed under investigation.

The Special Prosecution Office has discovered how this network operated and the drug route.

According to details published by SPAK, this structured criminal group operated through a sophisticated organization, mainly trafficking cocaine from Latin America to several European Union countries as well as Great Britain.

The narcotics came mainly from Santa Marta (Colombia) or Ecuador and were transported by sea containers to major ports such as Antwerp (Belgium), Rotterdam (Netherlands), or by land to France and through the Channel Tunnel to the United Kingdom. In some cases, the cargoes were also unloaded in ports in Italy and Spain.

According to the prosecutors in the case, Mr. Altin Dumani and Mr. Adnan Xholi, the activity of this network proves the high level of sophistication of Albanian criminal groups, their capabilities and their reach into international criminal markets.

"The organizational structure of this criminal group, with an extension to several continents and with 16 members identified so far, proves the high level of sophistication of Albanian criminal groups, their capabilities and their reach into international criminal markets."

Drug transport was characterized by sophisticated methods of concealment and well-organized international logistics. Various methods were used to conceal the drugs, such as hiding them in wooden pallets (Belgium, France), boxes of bananas (Netherlands) and bags of cocoa beans (Rotterdam), thus disguising them as commercial goods to avoid customs control.

The organization of the group was hierarchical and divided into specialized roles. At the top of this criminal group were leaders and financiers who not only ordered and financed drug shipments, but also coordinated routes, points of contact, and logistical operations.

They were the masterminds, investors and guarantors of the operations, linking the source of drugs in Latin America to European markets through a sophisticated chain of intermediaries. Most of them lived between the countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Under them operated associates who provided logistics and transportation. These individuals found legitimate export or transport companies, hired drivers – often Romanian citizens – and prepared the shipments by disguising them as legitimate goods such as timber or cocoa. Through them, tons of narcotics were transported to ports in Belgium, the Netherlands or overland routes to France and the United Kingdom.

On the ground, in the countries of destination, another link of the group operated – the distribution link. This included people who received the drug quantities, ensured delivery, and distributed the narcotics according to local orders. These were the executive arm of the network in Great Britain and Western Europe.

At the origin of the shipments, in Latin American countries, were unidentified individuals who served as points of contact. They were responsible for securing, packaging, and shipping the drugs to European ports.

Everything was kept under control through an encrypted communication, the Sky/ECC application. Users were hidden behind pseudonyms and PIN codes, which guaranteed anonymity and avoided eavesdropping. Communications included delivery plans, warnings of customs checks and instructions on how to react in the event of seizures. In cases of suspicion, phones were hidden, destroyed or thrown away to leave no trace.

In terms of making payments, the group had implemented a sophisticated method to circumvent the traditional banking system: the informal Hawala payment system. This mechanism allowed the transfer of large sums of money between different countries without going through formal financial channels, thus avoiding official transaction traces. This form of payment was used to hide the origin and destination of drug trafficking proceeds. Verification of the amounts was done through encrypted banknotes, which were marked with pseudonyms, payment amounts and specific dates that functioned as “tokens” to guarantee the correct withdrawal of the amount at the appropriate point.

This criminal group also had access to customs infrastructure through connections with individuals involved in ports or control agencies in various European Union countries. It is clear from the communications that securing cooperation with customs officers or port personnel was seen by the leaders of this criminal group as a crucial factor for the success of their drug trafficking./ CNA