“Controls the whole chain from Latin America

Analyst Lawrence Vanghel has commented on the growth and expansion of Albanian criminal groups in the international arena, stressing that despite their development, they cannot be regarded as the “cocaine kings”.

Invited to the “Debat” show with journalist Alba Alishan on A2 CNN, Vanghel said that in the last decade Albanian criminal groups have recognised a huge increase, especially in logistics and financial terms, thanks to cannabis trafficking.

“With the trafficking of cannabis, Albanian criminal groups manage to secure logistics, necessary finance, relevant contacts. One group, which is able to cross one tonne of cannabis on one side of the sea, would find it much easier to do so with 100kg of cocaine”, Vanghel said.

According to him, this has been the first point of penetrate these groups in the initial link to the traffic chain in countries of drug origin.

Initially, according to Vanghel, information coming from Latin America about the Albanian involvement was fragmented, but in time the situation changed significantly.

“On the bow of 10 years, these criminal groups have managed to control all the links of this chain,” he added. However, Vanghel flatly dismissed claims that Albanian groups are at the top of the world cocaine market.

I can't believe it, since I find it impossible, political statements classifying Albanians as the top or kings of the cocaine market. They have a part, but we multiply them often by 100. They have become very visible, but absolutely do not stand at the top of the box”, the analyst concluded./Periscopi/