SOUTHEASTERN EUROPEAN ORGANIZED CRIME, EXTREMISM &
GEOPOLITICS
Adapted by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring from Ioannis
Michaletos
ORGANIZED CRIME (OC) SYNDICATES EMERGING
IN THE BALKANS
The
main threat to the BALKANS nowadays is the existence of well organized criminal
groups that to an extent are an integral part of the world wide “Crime
Syndicates” that for the most part control the narcotics trade as well as human
trafficking in our époque. The infamous BALKAN drugs route is the main path by
which narcotics and specifically heroin; are smuggled to EUROPEAN countries. It
is actually a network of contrabands, corrupted public officials and war lords
that make sure that the heroin produced in AFGHANISTAN is smoothly transferred
to the EUROPE.
ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATES (OC) CONSTANTLY INCREASE THEIR
RICHES AND THUS POLITICAL INFLUENCE.
According
to the Council of Foreign affairs, AFGHANISTAN has almost tripled its heroin
production and in 2005 32,000 acres were reserved for poppy cultivation, out of
12,000 acres in 2004. This fact shows first of all failure by the International
Community (IC) in that country to create the necessary framework for the
reconstruction process. As far as the ramifications for the BALKANS are
concerned, the increased profits by Organized Crime syndicates (OC) have
boasted them with tremendous riches and political influence.
There
are mainly two organized ethnic groups that deal most of the arrangements
concerning the OC in the Balkans. The so-called ALBANIAN mafia and the TURKISH
crime syndicates. The ALBANIAN OC is very active since the collapse of the
Communist rule in this country that opened the way for various indigenous gangs
to spread their wings further and take part in one of the most profitable
commerce of all times, namely drugs and human trafficking. A leading FRENCH
criminologist Xavier Raufer has extensively dealt with the issue of the ALBANIAN
mafia.
He considers the ALBANIANS as the only true “Mafia” in the BALKANS due
to the peculiar social structure of their society in the Northern parts of the
country “The land of the Genghis”.
An
isolated society with very firm beliefs in issues of honor and manhood pride
coupled with severe social problems and a culture of vendetta; has been
transformed into a huge international crime network. Various reports indicate
that roughly 70-80% of the heroin distributed in EUROPEAN is under ALBANIAN
control, a really impressive percentage for a nation of just 6 million people.
Moreover in the BALKAN route –In reality three distinct routes-, the ALBANIAN
mafia plays a vital role in safeguarding the interests of the world drugs trade
by having its “Soldiers” and “Capos” along the way and protecting shipments
from police and official interruption.
TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN FROM ALBANIA IS ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS TO
ESTABLISH A “WAR CHEST” FOR OC
Furthermore
ALBANIA as a country is a major producer of Cannabis, which is mainly exported
to neighboring GREECE and ITALY. The narcotic traded is placed along the
trafficking and human trafficking operations that have seen the ALBANIANS
gaining the fame as the most powerful and dangerous criminal group in SOUTH
EASTERN EUROPE. In GREECE alone the revenues from prostitution run at around
7.5 billion USD, a large portion of that being controlled by ALBANIAN criminal
groups. Trafficking of women from ALBANIA is one of the main ways to establish
a “War chest” for OC, in order to invest its wealth in the drugs trade.
In
essence the first stage for every respectable OC unit, is to establish a
prostitution ring, make easily large amounts of cash, and then invest them for
the drugs trade by constructing the expensive logistics bases, fake companies,
pay corrupted officials and so on. Therefore when looking into the different
aspects of organized criminal activity, one should note that all forms of that
activity are interconnected and that each one leads to the other. That actually
is one of the differences of organized crime from the other forms of
criminality.
INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN OC AND TERRORISM
Back
to the activities of the ALBANIAN criminal groups, the recent history
illustrates the existence of a hybrid criminal form, meaning the
interconnection between criminal activities and terrorism. The ALBANIAN groups
that are mostly active in the North of the country have been associated with
the preparations of the U.C.K guerilla forces in the late 90’s, as well as,
with their arming and training. The troubling 90’s in SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE saw
the convergence of the drugs trade along with the formation of radical Islamic
groups and the pervasion of corruption in the upper echelons on the countries
involved. In the ALBANIAN case the past decade it is assumed that the country
is facing a virtual takeover of its institution by the OC that in its turn has
been linked with international terrorism, with Al Qaeda withstanding.
The
main role of the ALBANIAN Mafia in the narcotics trade is the one of wholesale
distributor of AFGHAN heroine. Along the BALKAN route and especially the one
passing through SOUTHERN BULGARIA, FYROM; the ALBANIANS import heroin and then
dispense it to ITALY, or BOSNIA- CROATIA to AUSTRIA and CENTRAL EUROPE. After
1999 and the consequent ALBANIAN dominance in KOSOVO, Pristina has become the
unquestionable narcotics capital of EUROPE. A traditionally provisional city in
the midst of the BALKANS is nowadays the epicenter of all drugs deal of an area
encompassing CENTRAL EUROPE, BALKANS, and MIDDLE EAST.
KEY ELEMENT IN BALKANS OC: KOSOVO-ALBANIAN DIASPORA
The
lack of law coupled with the existence of a society reluctant to pursue OC, has
created a “black hole” in the centre of the BALKANS that primarily lives on
criminal activities and the remittances of the KOSOVO-ALBANIAN Diaspora. The
latter is strategically located in countries such as SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA,
GERMANY and DENMARK and dominates the EUROPEAN heroin trade. Despite the fact
that ALBANIANS are relatively newcomers to the EUROPEAN organized crime
scene-Like the old-timers Sicilians, Corsicans – they have already taken over
the entire EUROPEAN heroin market and make large advances in the sectors of
trafficking, racketeering, arms smuggling, illegal gambling and human
trafficking.
TURKISH CRIME SYNDICATES ARE THE UNDISPUTED PARTNER OF THE
ALBANIANS
The
infamous ALBANIAN mafia is a formidable criminal network, but the existence of
another one, influential as well, should be added in order to examine the whole
spectrum of drugs trade in the BALKANS. The TURKISH crime syndicates are the
undisputable partner of the ALBANIANS. It would not be possible for the ALBANIANS
to become distributors in the first place if the weren’t able to acquire their
goods from the East, and that is where the role of the TURKS begins.
TURKEY
is a country strategically located between the EAST and the WEST. Apart from
its importance in political and military level, it is also an integral part of
the international narcotics smuggling. It would just be very hard for heroin to
travel from CENTRAL ASIA to EUROPE without being able to trespass TURKEY, the
only ASIAN country bordering with EUROPE. TURKEY traditionally is producing
Opium, for pharmaceutical purposes. In the early 70’s international pressure
–Mostly from Nixon administration in the USA- obliged TURKEY to enforce
stricter rules for Opium production in 1974. Up until then heroin was produced
in TURKEY as an Opium derivative and quantities were sold to the West with the
assistance of the Sicilian and Corsican mafias.
TURKISH NARCOTIC PRODUCTION BASES ESTABLISHED IN AFGHANISTAN
AND NORTHERN PAKISTAN
The
heroin to be sold was transported with ships to Sicily, and then to Marseilles
were the Corsicans had created labs for the fabrication of the commercial
product. From then onwards it was transferred to New York and other USA ports
where the AMERICAN-ITALIAN mafia would assure its allocation in the end-users,
the heroin addicts. The forceful USA administration at that time declared a war
against narcotics and obliged the TURKS to seek other sources of the lucrative
opium.
Soon enough TURKISH operational production bases were established in AFGHANISTAN
and NORTHERN PAKISTAN. The war in the former during the 80’s, as well as, the
resurge of the KURDISH guerilla fighting after 1984 and the IRAQ-IRANIAN war the
same period; created a convergence of political, criminal and military
operations based in heroin trade.
Events
such as the IRAN-Contra scandal illuminate how far the heroin trade has penetrated the higher
echelons of the world’s decision-making process and how it interacts with the
international affairs. See: http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system.html
and http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system_7.html
Moreover the effective destruction of Beirut during the 80’s collapsed the
cities ubiquitous reputation as the prime port for narcotics trade and this
role was taken over by Istanbul. The situation after the end of the Cold War in
1989, found the TURKS financially strong from their trade in the previous
decades and also ready enough to pursue stronger ties with the countries of
Central ASIA.
TURKEY, A KEY PLAYER IN DRUG TRAFFICKING?
Furthermore
the appearance of the ALBANIANS and the civil wars in former YUGOSLAVIA, provided
ample of human resources in the BALKANS, eager in getting involved in the drugs
trade so as to survive financially or gain capital to achieve their political
aims. EUROPE now already hosted considerable TURKISH minorities-Especially GERMANY –
and individuals from those TURKISH communities were used to act as local retail
agents for the heroin distribution in EUROPE.
In
1996 the Susurluk accident( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susurluk_scandal)
revealed to TURKEY the extent where the Drug –Lords have penetrated the upper
crust of the society and they were able to conduct their businesses untouched
by the law. Even the spouse of the then TURKISH Prime Minister Tancu Tsiller was
accused by the local media for close interactions with notable underworld
figures. Furthermore the accusations that the TURKISH security forces were
conducting drugs trade in South Eastern TURKE, were in relation to the civil
strife in that region because of the KURDISH fight and that presents once more
that politics and criminal groups seem to go hand in hand.
The
modus opperandi of the TURKISH organized crime in drugs trade follows the role
of the coordinator and distributor. Large amounts of heroin shipments enter TURKEY
each month and then delivered through the BALKAN route mostly, to all over EUROPE.
It has to be noted that the country with the largest TURKISH community-GERMANY-
is being used also as a redistribution centre. That means that when heroin
reaches GERMANY, it is being handed out from there to the other major EUROPEAN
markets, especially UK and SCANDINAVIA.
Moreover some of the strongest “Capo”
of the TURKISH syndicates resided in GERMANY and generally speaking this
country has become the centre of gravity for the TURKISH drug barons, as far
as, their posture in the EUROPEAN narcotics scene is concerned. Furthermore the
impact of the TURKISH drug lords has alarmed EUROPEAN security agencies due to
the importance of their overall contribution in the narcotics market on the
Continent. For instances since the 1970s, TURKEY has accounted for between 75
and 90 per cent of all heroin in the UK. The key traffickers are TURKS or
criminals who operate along that route using TURKISH contacts.
The
alliance of TURKISH and ALBANIAN crime groups can be explained at first glance
by the cultural, religious and ethnic links –A large percentage of TURKS in Western
TURKEY have ALBANIAN ancestry. Also, the tradition of the ALBANIANS to join and
serve larger ethnic groups with whom they feel to have a kind of affinity might
have its explanation. The same was the case in USA and New York especially where
for decades the ALBANIAN crime syndicates tended to operate under the aegis and
influence of the much stronger AMERICAN-SICILIAN crime corporations.
See also Part 2 to 6 on this Blog
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