47-year-old Albanian drug boss in Ecuador arrested for extradition

Ecuador's Interior Ministry has announced the arrest of Dritan Gjika, a 47-year-old Albanian-old widely wanted for drug trafficking, money laundering and organised crime.

According to authorities, Gjika was arrested on May 26th 2025 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, during a joint operation by Ecuador's Interpol and their counterparts at Abu Dhabi, with the support of the international platform PACTO 2.0.

“Dritian Gjika, leader of the Albanian mafia in Ecuador, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates... for the purpose of extradition”, the official announcement said.

Gjika, who holds two red announcements from Interpol, had entered Ecuador for the first time in 2009 on temporary visas. According to Ecuador's Prosecutor, he led a powerful criminal network operating in Ecuador and Spain, transporting large quantities of drugs to countries in Europe and Central America.

The organisation led by him had well-organised structures, including logistics, legitimate money laundering companies, as well as fellow workers at ports helping manipulate drug containers through the method known as the blind <x0...grep”.

In February 2024, after a raid on Guayaquil, authorities had identified Gjika as the leader of this network. Currently, the launch of procedures for his extradition is expected in one of the countries where it is required./Periscopi/