From Antwerp to Rotterdam: A Story of drug smuggling

Organized crime on the rise

For several years, organized crime has been on the rise in the European markets. Already known for their illegal activities, such as prostitution. A new form of organised mafia has begun moving into more complex criminal circuits. Of course, it's the drug business that has pushed them up the crime ladder. Moreover, the cocaine supply chain has been considered by Europol as one of the most active illegal trafficking chains in the world. This is due to their presence at the two most important ports in Europe. So where does the success and expansion of this Albanian-speaking mafia come from?

This Mafia occupies a strategic point in the drug business in the Balkan region and has very well established a transit point for heroin trafficking that often originates in Afghanistan then passes through Turkey and finally arrives in Albania where it is usually cut thus reducing its purity. According to the Italian anti-mafia division, Albania is the main source of cannabis in Europe. Albanian-speaking criminal groups have become involved with Italian mafias in drug trafficking.

Vlora

Indeed, it was the geographical proximity that allowed a link between the two criminal organizations n the 1990s when Albanian migrants arrived in Italy in search of a better life. Some of those who arrived illegally were sometimes recruited into Italian criminal groups starting with all kinds of smuggling. Passing drugs became the most lucrative occupation. Started selling cannabis in Italy, one of their largest markets, taking lessons from Ndragetta or other Mafia organizations in Italy.

Then came the turn of cocaine in the last two decades criminal groups from the Balkans have also entered the lucrative business of cocaine trading. In the 2000s Albanian-Speaking criminals moved to South America partly as a favour to Italians who had close links with the cartels there. All these criminals were randomly contracted by the Italian Mafia and other criminal networks to drive cocaine from ports throughout the continent and distributed it in the streets of European capitals. This contact portfolio and the experience accumulated over the years have enabled them to establish themselves in South America and create partnerships to distribute cocaine to Europe. For example, Ecuador has emerged as an attractive location for Albanians and other criminal syndicates. On the other hand, cocaine production skyrocketed in Colombia from 2013 to 2019, increasing by more than four times together with the increase in demand for traffic to Europe.

Thus the Italian mafia the Ndrangeta would control 80 per cent of the cocaine that reaches Europe. According to an Italian prosecutor the Italian Mafia, not being able to handle all these huge quantities on their own, lead the Colombian suppliers to start to look for additional partners including the Albanians, who were already well positioned. Eventually, the Albanian mafia has gone from an organization that gives a logistical hand to the Italian mafia, to one that is able to run its own supply chain in Europe.

But what the Albanian mafia has done, is change the whole business model. Traditionally those who import wholesale and sell on the street work separately. Instead, Albanian criminal groups have taken over the entire process, from ordering to distributing the goods to Albanian-speaking affiliates in Europe such as the UK-based Albanian gangs.

The two primary entrance ports used by this "super cartel" that supplied a third of Europe's cocaine, are Rotterdam and Antwerp in neighbouring Netherlands and Belgium.

Rotterdam

Europe’s biggest port Rotterdam "drowning in cocaine"

Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, famous for its enormous lines of cranes and never-ending cargo ships. But the Dutch city is also coping with increasing quantities of cocaine, a less desirable cargo. According to a recent research, a record-breaking roughly 70 tonnes of the narcotic were seized in 2021, an increase of 74% from the previous year.

‘Needle in a haystack’

The cocaine is typically concealed in containers or occasionally found underneath ships in openings below the surface, where it is later found by divers. Dutch customs officials argue that in order to stop the flow of cocaine, it is crucial to maintain strong ties with the "source" nations, combat efforts to bribe port workers and conduct additional checks. Risk assessment is a crucial component of the checks. Sniffer dogs are used to inspect, unpack, and search containers that have been flagged as suspicious, frequently based on information from abroad. Divers from diving teams also examine certain ships. According to two officials, the automation of various port operations and the consequent removal of the human element have also contributed to the reduction of corruption.

Companies in the port of Rotterdam collaborate with the intelligence agency AIVD to conduct criminal background checks on thousands of workers and drivers for crimes related to the drug trade. It involves workers in lucrative occupations for drug traffickers, such as truck drivers and terminal planners. A ministerial meeting involving representatives from Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain was held in Amsterdam on October 7, 2022, to debate this issue. In order to increase resistance against criminal networks, more liaison officers will also be sent to work with so-called source and transit nations in the drug trade, mostly in Latin America. in the hopes that this will make it possible to identify shipments that are possibly suspicious before they reach the Netherlands.

Antwerp

How Belgium became Europe’s port of choice for cocaine

A port the size of 16,600 football fields, Antwerp Harbour leads up the River Scheldt and into the heart of Europe. It receives 240,000,000 tonnes of cargo annually. But it's not just bananas, steel, and brand-new cars are unloaded here. The port of Antwerp has the dubious claim to fame as the main entry point for cocaine in Europe. Nowadays, the main route through Europe for cocaine smugglers and the associated violence is Antwerp.

Early in January, tragedy struck in a suburb of northern Antwerp just hours before Belgian officials revealed a startling new record (they had captured roughly 110 tonnes of cocaine in 2022 at the port in Antwerp, breaking the previous record of 90 tonnes in 2021). Later that day unknown shooters attacked the residence with a Kalashnikov assault weapon, killing an 11-year-old girl who suffered five gunshot wounds. She was an innocent bystander. At least 40% of the cocaine imported into Europe, according to the head of Belgium's customs office, is brought in through Antwerp and other adjacent ports. In contrast with the belief that Belgium offers drug traffickers almost perfect conditions to thrive, since the city has never seen the gang-related brutality of Rotterdam or Amsterdam. The mayor of Antwerp and the prime minister of Belgium discuss toughening up measures and regulations to counter the increase of drug trafficking through the port of Antwerp. But the authorities' recent success in taking down some powerful players in the Netherlands means more unwelcome activities may be shifting to Antwerp. Recent bombings and shootings on the streets of Antwerp are proof of this.

In the meantime, we remain spectators in the massive increase of drug trafficking and its influence in European society, from its upper-class to its "every-day" working-class. As the future remains unpredictable.

In the next articles, I am going to emphasize on the origins of the South Italian Mafia, called Ndraghetta, as well as, the role of ship-owning companies in these illegal operations.

Written and Published by Sergios Saropoulos