In its 2024 annual report, Italy’s Anti-Mafia Directorate (DIA) states that Albanian criminal groups are gaining increasing ground in Italy, even taking a leadership role in cocaine trafficking.

The report highlights that the “Adriatic route” is a key corridor for the transit of narcotics from Albania to Italy and the rest of Europe, with Albanian groups managing to infiltrate major commercial ports such as Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Hamburg.

“Drug trafficking remains the primary sector of activity, and the profits are increasingly reinvested in the acquisition of legitimate economic enterprises and real estate,” the report states.

Investigative evidence also confirms that Albanian gangs are involved in other illegal activities, such as arms trafficking, human trafficking, exploitation of prostitution, and committing tax crimes.

“The Albanian gangs deal directly with South American cartels to import large quantities of cocaine destined to supply cells of compatriots operating in Italy’s main markets,” the report further notes.