The Hellbanianz, an Albanian street gang known for drug dealing and violence, has abandoned its traditional base on the Gascoigne estate in Barking, east London, for a new stronghold. The gang, which rose to prominence through social media displays of wealth and threats of violence, is part of the wider Albanian organised crime network, the Mafia Shqiptare, which the National Crime Agency believes is taking over the UK's £5bn cocaine market.
Police sources indicate that Hellbanianz occupy the lowest rung of the Albanian mafia, operating as street-level dealers and enforcers. Their departure from Barking follows a period of intense scrutiny and law enforcement pressure. The gang's new location has not been disclosed, but it is understood to be within the London area.
The Albanian mafia's success in the UK cocaine trade stems from a bold business strategy. They bypassed traditional wholesalers and negotiated directly with Colombian cartels, securing cocaine for £4,000 to £5,500 per kilo, compared to the £22,500 charged by Dutch middlemen. This allowed them to offer higher purity at lower prices, undercutting rivals and dominating the market.
Tony Saggers, former head of drugs threat and intelligence at the National Crime Agency, said: 'What they have done very intelligently is say: OK, we've got these margins to play with and we're going to give a good slice of that to the customer.' The result has been cheaper, purer cocaine in the UK, leading to record fatalities and the highest number of young users in Europe.
Rival gangs have struggled to compete, often forced to buy cocaine sourced from the Albanian network. Mohammed Qasim, a research fellow at Leeds Beckett University, described the Albanian approach as 'fantastically efficient' and noted that their dominance shows no signs of waning.
