British media call Albania “Europe's Colombia” due to drugs

Cultivating and trafficking drugs from Albania to different European countries has been one of the investigative topics of British media.

Prestigiosis “The Independent”, in an article written by journalist Borzou Daragahi, writes that Albania has returned to the “Colombia of Europe”, reflecting not only cannabis cultivation but also the trafficking of high drugs.

Everything started when the government decided to fight cannabis plantations in Lazaras. This caused traffickers to expand the area by trafficking not only cannabis but also cocaine and heroin. Groups of Albanian traffickers are valued as the first in the world for cocaine, heroin and cannabis trafficking. Only the cannabis trade in one year generates 4 billion euros, half of Albania's GDP”, the journalist writes.

According to the “The Independent”, at a time when Albanian officials report catching 10 per cent of the amount being trafficked, a Western diplomat stresses that Albania has already become a narco-state.

According to traffic - road information, the steepest years of traffic, the paper notes, was 2015-2016. A Western diplomat whose name is not made public was quoted in the scripture, but what he says is very strong.

It's the Columbia of Europe. He's a producer and drug dealer in Europe. It's a narco-state. They will lose a lot of money if they give up traffic to enter the EU”. He said he only gets 5 percent. /Periscopi