Albanians control heroin market in Switzerland

A study that deals with heroin trade in Canton Vaud and finds that “ethnic Albanians” have been in charge of almost the entire market with this type of drugs across Switzerland, echoed in most of the media here. Even the most serious newspapers, such as Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Tages Anzeiger, devote extensive articles to finding this study. This second even puts the supertitle to “Heroina, the Albanian matter” its expanded article on this study.

Up to 200 pounds [220 kg] of heroin are consumed within the Vaud canton within the year, while for the entire Swiss, this consumption is estimated at up to two and a half tons, airing albinfo.ch. In this result came the study conducted by researchers at the University Hospital of Lausanne and the foundation “Sucht Schweiz” The opinions of policemen, social workers, and drug addicts themselves have been taken into account for this study.

When it comes to selling heroin today, almost all cases are involved in Albanian gangs”, Tages Anzeiger writes, relying on the study mentioned. The newspaper then describes the harsh background of this trade by relating the dual murder that took place in Basel in March of this year to albinfo.ch. In that case, two Albanians have been killed and another, Albanian, has been wounded. There are also suspects in the murder. It's all about heroin. What stands out is that all involved are Albanian citizens and all of them with temporary stays in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, the paper continues, heroin trade “is almost fully controlled by Albanian gangs”. This trade generates incomes of 100 to 150 million francs a year.

“is an extremely stable market” says study author, Frank Zobel. Albanians have been ruling here for many years. They are organized into small groups that have divided Switzerland into areas, records albinfo.ch. This can be seen in police reports. Almost every month, police -- for example, Cyril -- report the capture of an Albanian drug dealer. According to the rule, there are little “weights” those caught.

Those who sell to Swiss dealer (also addicted to drugs) bags of 5 grams of heroin, which they then sell. These businesses are held in such centers as Cyril, Berna, or Geneva. Locals then receive the distribution in small quantities in other parts of Switzerland. While their business partners are sent from Albania to Switzerland for a few weeks or months, it transmits albinfo.ch. Officially they are tourists, since Albanian citizens from 2010 travel visa-free to the Schengen zone.

Organization is such that envoys know little about hierarchy, and that is where the difficulty of discovering it is. What can be fought is only “The Ajsberg Mau of”, says a Swiss police spokesman.

However, the author of the study commends the Swiss police for having managed to prevent the heroin trade from increasing for so many years.