Albanian authorities have launched one of the country’s most significant organized crime crackdowns in recent years, targeting an alleged international cocaine trafficking and money laundering network believed to have operated across multiple continents. Prosecutors announced the seizure of assets worth approximately €150 million and issued arrest warrants for ten Albanian citizens, including alleged crime boss Dritan Gjika, who investigators say played a central role in a vast criminal enterprise stretching from Latin America to Europe.

The operation was revealed by Albania’s Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) in a statement issued on June 16. Prosecutors accused the suspects of participating in an international network responsible for transporting large quantities of cocaine from Latin America into Europe while laundering millions of euros in illicit profits through investments in Albania.

Although SPAK identified the alleged ringleader only by the initials “D. Gj.,” Albanian law enforcement sources later confirmed that the individual is Dritan Gjika, a figure who has already attracted the attention of international authorities due to his alleged involvement in transnational organized crime.

According to investigators, the criminal organization operated between 2019 and 2021 and maintained links in several countries, including Ecuador, Brazil, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Prosecutors allege that the group coordinated the movement of cocaine shipments from South America to European markets, generating enormous profits that were subsequently funneled into legitimate businesses and real estate ventures.

Authorities say the network trafficked “dozens of tons” of cocaine during the period under investigation. The profits from these activities were allegedly invested in a variety of sectors within Albania, including construction projects, hospitality businesses, commercial enterprises, and real estate developments. By integrating criminal proceeds into the legal economy, investigators believe........

© Blitz