An Albanian businessman has been arrested in connection with a £355m cocaine smuggling plot, as the National Crime Agency warns that Albanian organised crime syndicates are on the verge of taking over the UK's £5bn cocaine market.
The arrest comes amid growing concerns about the influence of the Mafia Shqiptare, which has transformed the UK cocaine trade by cutting out middlemen and dealing directly with Colombian cartels. This has allowed them to offer higher purity cocaine at lower prices, undercutting rival gangs.
According to intelligence obtained by British experts, Albanian gangs procure cocaine from cartels for as little as £4,000 to £5,500 per kilo, compared to the £22,500 per kilo that rivals were paying Dutch wholesalers. This has driven down street prices and increased purity, leading to record numbers of young users in the UK.
Former National Crime Agency head of drugs threat Tony Saggers said: 'They have shown that you don't have to be greedy to dominate drug markets. They've gone down the route of sustainable prices, good quality.'
Rival gangs, such as the Hellbanianz street crew operating on east London's Gascoigne estate, have struggled to compete and have been forced to buy cocaine sourced from the Albanian mafia. The Hellbanianz are known for their violence and social media displays of wealth, but police sources say they occupy the lowest rung of the Albanian criminal hierarchy.
