"You just constantly hear people in their cars or pulling up or shouting things to each other, playing music or talking really loud. The Albanians ditched the entire model. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. There are sometimes direct shipments to Britain, but more often than not they go via ports in Rotterdam and Antwerp. Ms Kuko says authorities have identified 41 Albanian-rooted drug networks. Yet for the Albanians model to truly work it required control of Europes ports. You need the best people to get it out of port. This load is worth about 30 million pesos [$8,000], says a heavily-built man wearing a Gucci tee and Diesel jeans, with a handgun sticking out of his waistband. One member of the gang,Tristen Aslanni was jailed for 25 years for firearms and drug offences in June 2016. and that increasing numbers of murders are taking place as a result. Crisis Group interviews, Western officials, New York, London and Washington, January 2023. Another repercussion of the Albanian model has, say some, helped fuel knife crime and drug disputes by making cocaine affordable to smaller, younger street gangs. Over the last 20 years Albanian gangs have seized control of Britain's booming cocaine market after forming an alliance with deadly Latin American drug cartels. Asllani hid a fearsome Skorpion sub-machine gun fitted with a silencer at a house in Crouch End used as a collection point for suitcases of cocaine. 17 January 2023. Wells is also believed to go by the names Howard Walmsley and . Members of the gang have even posted pictures of a small child wearing a gang symbol medallion. ", Last November Steve Brocklesby from the National Crime Agency said: " The estimates are that hundreds of millions of pounds UK sterling is leaving the UK and ending up in Albania, where it then gets semi-legitimised either into the banking system or to pay for construction work., Deputy director Andrea Wilson described Albanian crime gangs as resourceful, adaptable and entrepreneurial. Europe's New Cocaine Kings | The. Lead a team of assay development and screening scientists. The Hellbanianz gang, based in Barking, eastLondon, are understood to traffic millions of pounds worth of drugs into the UK each year. But it's done for a reason," she said. According to the NCA,Rrustem Dauti, 30, and Fisnik Kurtucai, 32, were arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Albanian drug gangs are everywhere in the. "They are also expanding and their prominence is increasing.". This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. After identifying London-based Mzui as the primary upstream supplier, covert officers spent months trailing the 31-year-old as he sourced the controlled drug from his own suppliers in the south . Pricing structure varied, depending on the drugs purity; the higher it was, the more it cost. Half of the Clans cocaine is smuggled by Mexican cartels into America. A pilot flew four illegal Albanian immigrants into a tiny airfield near Corby before an Uber driver dropped them off at Asda, a court has heard. The Gascoigne estate, built in the 1960s and occupying land that slopes south of Barking town centre to the Thames, is its historical home turf. An Albanian county lines drug-dealer has been caught with more than 10,000 worth of cocaine and a knife despite being booted out of the UK multiple times.. Xhenson Duka was caught with the . The Hellbanianz is an infamous street gang based in the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, East London. This created a breeding ground for organised gangs. If you violate besa there will be effects of that back in Albania, Paul Radu, Co-Director of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, tells producer and reporter Matt Shea. The account @hellbanian.z and related accounts have been removed for violating our community guidelines. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. According to Albanian Drug Law No. Senior police and immigration officials on. Locals say Hellbanianz has moved operations north, to a prime spot near the Kings Lounge pub. Peter Walsh, author of Drug War: The Secret History, traced the emergence of Albanian drug gangs to the collapse of communism in the early 90s. He was caught after crashing his car into a shop in Crouch End during a police chase. Now a London-based Albanian gangs expert has lifted the lid on how criminals from his countrymen dominate the capital and Manchester's coke trade. The grounds cited were that he was an influential member of a UK-based Albanian criminal community that imports class A drugs and distributes them across the UK and ready to inflict serious violence on those opposed to his interests. A woman from Barking has described the fear and constant intimidation she has to face living on an estate controlled by notorious Albanian gangsters. We encourage anyone who comes across this type of content to report it via our in-app tools. Albania is a small country, everybody knows everybody. Hellbanianzs high life the bling, the violence has fostered tensions within the Albanian community, particularly the goading of police. They follow an ancient code of honour called besa, which is essentially their code of conduct. "They then flooded the UK with cocaine, looking to make as much money as possible. Replaced report on people trafficking, Albania, March 2019 with new report on trafficking of women for sexual exploitation, Albania, June 2020. "The local gangs protect Liverpool and will not let them in. The figure is even more startling when considering the tiny number of UK organised criminals the NCA believes are Albanian 0.8%. Officially, the private cargo flight plane is making a legitimate flight from Bogata to Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Meanwhile in Albania in February this year, a container holding bananas from Colombia unloaded in the main port of Durres was found to contain cocaine worth 160million. Anna Sergi, a lecturer in criminology at the University of Essex who specialises in mafia relationships, confirmed Albanians and the southern Italian crime group have joined forces. Linked by interlocking walkways and limited access points, the tower block was easy to defend from police and rivals. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. A spokesman at the National Crime Agency said groups like these are expanding and increasing in number. She said the issue went beyond cuckooing - where vulnerable people's homes are used for criminal activity - and had been affecting people who wouldn't normally be targeted by gangs. "The Encrochat hack has hit a lotofLiverpooldrugs gangs hard so the Albanians might be thinking now is the time to make their move intoLiverpool, where there is a massive cocaine market. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Work independently liaising closely . The Hellbanianz gang are based on the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, with . "Their model involving buying in bulk from the Colombians thereby paying lower prices and then selling across Europe cheaply and efficiently. I'm a target, without doubt. Sources say the Italian mafia consider the Albanians as equals. His killing came months after he had spent a year in an Ecuadorian prison o n illegal weapons charges -- in a case that ultimately never went to trial. Dauti was later extradited to Belgium in January 2019 to serve a ten year sentence for organised immigration crime. Wife is shocked after husband of 15 years asks for permission to have an affair: 'I don't know what to do'. Meanwhile, so long as Mafia Shqiptare keeps delivering their cocaine, recruiting teenagers to the Hellbanianz gangster life has never been easier. He said the Albanian crews might chose to take their chance after the police penetration of the EncroChat encrypted phone network had weakened Merseyside coke gangs. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up . Two decades of success have seen Albanian drug bosses splash their dirty cash on luxury lifestyles - sporting designer clothes while driving Ferraris and Bentleys. Read our, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. Officers then raided a third address house where they recovered four kilos of cocaine and a further 100,000 in cash. In one incident he stabbed a club bouncer in Seven Sisters three times in the heart area with a four-inch flick knife but escaped prosecution after the victim was paid very well for not helping police and fled to Bulgaria. It's frightening for O'Doherty, who has lived on the estate for over two decades, because evidence of the violent threat these groups possess is clear to see, as she explained: "I found a knife round the back of my block. Soon after, Hellbanianz took over. Albanians have become the third largest group of organised criminals in the country by nationality in the last three years, increasing their share of the market by 42 per cent. One, nicknamed the Bajri gang, had tentacles spreading to the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, and was involved in. An NCA source described Belgium and the Netherlands as key nexus points of consolidation and onward trafficking of illicit commodities and confirmed Albanian groups were expanding their influence upstream police-speak for strengthening their grip on international cocaine supply. According to the latest data that Saggers had available before leaving the anti-drug leadership to NCA, Albanian criminal organisations are the owners of hundreds of them. Police sources say Hellbanianz are also behind increasing gang violence as they vie to leapfrog their rivals in a bloodthirsty turf war. This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://vaxxfacts.substack.com and its author. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Drug trafficking. Fellow intelligence manager Steve Brocklesby added: "Albanian OCGs (organised crime groups) in the UK, their main objective when they make money is to get it out of the country as soon as possible. Albanian crime groups have been linked to a surge in major cocaine trafficking into London from Europe. I called the police who came round to collect it. They are sophisticated, professional and they do what they promise. 18 January 2023 11:22 Man jailed after 50k worth of drugs seized A man has been jailed after a stop and search led to a large quantity of drugs being found. They all take cocaine and like nice holidays to Spain and Dubai.". Develop, evaluate, optimise and implement novel technologies and methods for process improvement. The page shows the Barking-based Hellbanianz gang showing off high performance cars surrounded by wads of 20 and 50 notes. More massive consignments were brought into the UK. Theyll come and drop it off to you, just give them the address its like McDonalds, but for drugs.. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. They do not have a Don Corleone in charge or anything like that. They combine pictures of flash motors and drug cash with snaps of pistols and rap videos. They are the biggest drug exporters., Wearing a black hood, a camouflage mask and sitting in the back seat of a car cruising down dark streets, he sheds some light on how their Albanian partners hold on to their territory: The Albanians are known for being very aggressive. The latest UK criminal threat assessment says that the Albanians are unusually skilled at developing relationships and forging links with other OCGs [organised criminal gangs]. Last Tuesday, 14-year-old Jayden Moodie was killed in the borough during a targeted attack, though his family say he had no gang involvement. This assessment was made following a thorough investigation and was upheld by the court judgment. He was arrested after crashing a car containing a suitcase of cocaine into a shop in Crouch End after being pursued by police. Especially as a white female living on my own in a council property. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. and Ms O'Doherty recalled: "I heard [noises] outside and opened my front door to a policeman with a gun and dogs. "They had a natural advantage in the drug trade due to geography, as they could tranship heroin by opening a new front on the traditional Balkan Route from Anatolia. The gangs glossily produced trap music videos remind viewers HB are ready for violence and that they possess the requisite manpower and firearms. A woman says Albanian gangsters have left residents of the council estate where she resides living in constant fear.. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The page shows the Barking-based Hellbanianz gang showing off high performance cars surrounded by wads of 20 and 50 notes. Plus, historically, the Italians have good contacts in Latin America.. They had stormed the block, I've never seen anything like it in my whole life.". The Barking resident was awoken one night several months ago by her frightened dog. They claim to have commercial pilots and Colombian air traffic controllers on their payroll. Albania being one of the poorest countries in Europe breeds some of the most violent crime in Europe., A cocaine smuggler underlines this strategy later on: Plenty of my friends are dead, he says. Top nutrition scientist says you should drink as many varieties as possible UK's electric car revolution stalls: Britain falling behind US and Europe in race to become an EV Charles evicting Harry and Meghan is the act of a King putting his country first: REBECCA ENGLISH reveals A royal princess at Eton? The National Crime Agency has warned that Albanian gangs pose a significant threat to. , updated By the time of the 2011 census, Albanian was the second language on the estate. Rookwood House, a five-minute walk from Barking Abbey, became their notional headquarters. A BRAZEN gang of Albanian drug dealers are taunting cops by posting pictures of drug money and flash cars to a public Instagram page. "It's always worrying around here now, that's just how life is, there's so much intimidation going on. She recently found a "big" knife at the back of her block and called the police who came and took it away. . News. They began negotiating directly with the Colombian cartels who control coca production. and The 36-year-old gangster, referred to in legal papers only as B9, enjoyed a high-living lifestyle despite having almost no financial footprint in the UK and only limited earnings from a London loft company. Now a London-based Albanian gangs expert has lifted the lid on how criminals from his countrymen dominate the capital and Manchester's coke trade. 21:44 GMT 11 Nov 2018 837K views 11 months ago The Albanian mafia have forged a deadly alliance with Colombia's biggest cocaine clan. 16 December 2019. Saggers said: The retail market is the get-rich-quick environment. "He was, like, screaming at me to 'get in'. While Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, including 188 staff bedrooms, 19. It was getting dark, another two men appeared and, when asked if they were Hellbanianz, one said: You should go. The Observer was escorted off the estate and told not to return. Published: 10:56 GMT, 16 January 2021 | Updated: 10:58 GMT, 16 January 2021. They were standing near Crispe house, a tower block on east Londons Gascoigne estate, undisputed territory of Hellbanianz. Which Friends cast members have a star on Hollywood Boulevard. If you live in London, youll know that obtaining a gram of coke is about as easy as making a cup of tea. The Albania international was injured in a collision with Ezri Konsa in the first half of a 1-0 loss in a friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. "They are now into laundering their cash and are linked to door firms across the country. "They have made a lot of money from selling coke in the UK, which they have used to buy land and property back in Albania.". Her outing comes after her estranged husband Boris issued a marriage warning to Prince . 45 arrests in crackdown on Albanian-speaking criminals flooding Europe with cocaine Support to actions across Europe against large-scale importers and wholesalers of drugs from Latin America news 15 Feb 2022 The National Crime Agency has begun an investigation after a series of drug seizures were made from passengers flying into Heathrow Airport from Los Angeles in the United States. The gangs lyrics discuss defending Barking with kallash (AK47s) and dishing out threats to rival Albanian outfit OTR ( On Top Of The Rest) and a fair few others. "They secured direct access to the wholesalers, and based their business model on being 'cheap and fast.'. Tony Saggers, the former head of drugs threat and intelligence at the National Crime Agency, who has spent 30 years analysing the rhythms of the global narcotics economy, said: What they have done very intelligently is say: OK, weve got these margins to play with and were going to give a good slice of that to the customer.. A spokesman said: 'We do not allow illegal behaviour, threats of physical harm or organised crime on Instagram. You most trust the ones similar to you, she said. ALBANIAN gangsters flooding the UK with drugs have been warned by crime godfathers there is ONE city that is strictly forbidden. NCA investigates after series of smuggling attempts from Los Angeles. 21 July 2021. Earlier the court was given the names of around a dozen of the gangsters criminal associates, many of whom have been convicted of drug or human trafficking offences. Such disregard was evident in the case of Hellbanianz member Tristen Asllani, who in 2016 lost control during a high-speed police chase in Crouch End, north London, and ploughed into a shop. Their only option has been to buy cocaine sourced from the Mafia Shqiptare. Despite making their fortune in drugs, the Albanian gangs made their mark on the UK underworld with prostitution rackets in 1998. History [ edit] In 2016, Tristen Asllani, named by The Guardian as Hellbanianz's most prominent member, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug dealing and offenses surrounding firearms. Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. Saggers says the backdrop of the Kosovo conflict has given them a swagger comparable to that of Irish criminals during and after the Troubles. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Play a key role in the strategy and the decision-making process to select best drug molecule candidates. The extent of the gangsters unlawful activities led the Home Secretary to remove his right to reside in the UK, which had been granted in 2012 because of his marriage to a Latvian woman living in London. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The [sense] of community isn't there anymore.". '[Hellbanianz] isready for war, with two arms arm wrist, we about dat gango bando, how do you compare to me?'. "There are not as many people that have lived here for a long time and because [there are plans for the whole estate to be] demolished. The gang's page boasts that their gang motto is "We Are God Of The Streets". One member, pictured showing his middle finger to the camera, wrote on Instagram: I'm trying to spend It.. You still trying to make it #SnowMoney not #ShowMoney. Their 'cheap and fast' British business model has seen them dominate the drugs trade by outpricing competitors, working with local gangs and avoiding pointless bloodshed. Defrim Iseberi, 45, was number two on an Albanian Police "top 10" list of most wanted. The Hood Life video shows gang members surrounding a Met patrol car. Priorclave has a global presence, shipping products . We keep a good relationship [with the Albanians], he says. Yet, police sources say, Hellbanianz occupy the lowest rung of the Albanian mafia. Many gang members are thought to be children of Albanian migrants who came to the UK as asylum seekers in the late 1990s. Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Bosnia And Herzegovina Croatia Cyprus Georgia Kazakhstan Kosovo Kyrgyzstan Moldova Montenegro Nagorno . 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