Importance Score: 85 / 100 🟢
Ecuador Grapples with Surging Cocaine Trade as Albanian Mafia Expands Operations
Guayaquil, Ecuador – Ecuador has become a major transit point for cocaine trafficking, with a staggering 70% of the world’s cocaine now flowing through its ports, according to President Daniel Noboa. Fueled by European cocaine consumption, and the expanding influence of groups like the Albanian mafia, this South American nation is battling a surge in drug-related crime and violence. Criminal gangs, exploiting key drug routes, are transforming Ecuador into a critical hub in the global illicit drug trade, despite the country not being a producer of cocaine itself.
César (a pseudonym to protect his identity), a member of the Latin Kings gang in Ecuador, reveals the brutal reality of the situation: “The Albanian mafia would call me and say: ‘We want to send 500kg of drugs.’ If you don’t accept, they kill you.” Recruited by a corrupt law enforcement officer, César now operates within the shadows, facilitating the movement of narcotics for one of Europe’s most notorious cocaine cartels.
Albanian Mafia’s Growing Foothold in Ecuador’s Drug Network
The Albanian mafia has significantly increased its presence in Ecuador in recent years. Attracted by the nation’s strategic location and established trafficking routes, they now exert considerable control over the cocaine flow from South America towards Europe. The illicit substance is primarily smuggled into Ecuador from neighboring Colombia and Peru, the world’s leading cocaine producers.
Law enforcement agencies in Ecuador report seizing record quantities of illegal drugs in the past year, predominantly cocaine. This surge in seizures, however, ironically points to a broader increase in overall drug exports passing through the country.
Deadly Consequences: Rising Violence Linked to Drug Trade
This escalating drug trade has had dire consequences for Ecuador. January of last year witnessed 781 homicides, marking it as the deadliest month in recent history. A significant portion of this violence is directly linked to the illicit drug trade.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
To understand the depths of this crisis and the driving forces behind it, including the role of rising European cocaine consumption, reporters spoke with individuals involved in the drug supply chain.
Inside the Supply Chain: How Cocaine Moves Through Ecuador
César, now 36, began his involvement with cartels at the young age of 14, citing limited economic opportunities as a contributing factor. He explains his value to the Albanian networks: “The Albanians needed someone to solve problems. I knew the port guards, the transport drivers, the CCTV camera supervisors.”
His role involves bribing port officials, transport personnel, and security staff to facilitate drug smuggling through Ecuador’s ports, often ensuring security cameras are strategically disabled.
Smuggling Methods and Financial Incentives
Once cocaine arrives in Ecuador from Colombia or Peru, it is stored in concealed warehouses. It remains there until César’s Albanian contacts identify a suitable shipping container destined for Europe.
Gangs employ three primary methods to smuggle cocaine into cargo shipments:
- Concealing drugs within cargo before it reaches port facilities.
- Infiltrating port container yards and breaking into containers.
- Attaching drug packages to the hulls of ships while at sea.
For successfully executing a job, César states he could earn up to $3,000. However, the motivation extends beyond mere financial gain: “If you don’t do a job the Albanians ask for, they’ll kill you.”
Despite the financial rewards, César expresses remorse for his role in the drug trade, especially considering what he describes as the “collateral victims”.
However, he firmly places the blame on consumer nations: “If consumption keeps growing, so will trafficking. It will be unstoppable,” he asserts. “If they fight it there, it will end here.”
Unsuspecting Workers Entangled in Drug Networks
It is not only gang members who become enmeshed in this dangerous supply chain. Ordinary workers are also frequently caught in the web.
Juan (also a pseudonym), a truck driver, recounts an incident where he unknowingly transported drugs. Tasked with delivering a tuna shipment to the port, he noticed irregularities.
“The first red flag was when we went to the warehouse, and it only contained the cargo, nothing else. It was a rented warehouse, no company name,” he remembers.
His suspicions were later confirmed: “Two months later, I saw on the news that the containers had been seized in Amsterdam, full of drugs. We never knew.”
Some drivers unwittingly transport narcotics, while others face coercion, with refusal often resulting in death.
Legitimate Exports as Cover for Illicit Trade
European gangs are attracted to Ecuador not only for its geographical position but also for its substantial legal exports, which provide a convenient façade for concealing illicit cargo. The booming banana export industry is particularly vulnerable.
“Banana exports comprise 66% of containers departing from Ecuador, with 29.81% destined for the European Union, where drug consumption is on the rise,” explains José Antonio Hidalgo, a representative of the banana industry.
Certain gangs have gone so far as to establish sham fruit import/export businesses in both Europe and Ecuador to serve as fronts for their illegal operations.
“Businessmen” and Organized Crime
“These European traffickers pose as businessmen,” states “José” (another pseudonym), a prosecutor specializing in organized crime, who agreed to speak anonymously due to safety concerns.
A prominent example is Dritan Gjika, alleged to be a leading figure in the Albanian mafia operating in Ecuador. Prosecutors contend that Gjika held stakes in fruit export companies in Ecuador and import companies in Europe, using these entities to traffic cocaine. While Gjika remains a fugitive, numerous associates faced convictions following a multinational law enforcement operation.
Monica Luzárraga, a lawyer who defended one of Gjika’s associates, offers insights into the operational methods of these networks.
“In those years, banana exports to Albania surged,” she reveals.
Authorities Slow to Connect the Dots
Luzárraga expresses frustration at the apparent sluggishness of authorities in recognizing the connection between the surge in banana exports and criminal activity. “The entire economy here is stagnant. Yet one item that has increased in exports is bananas. So, two plus two equals four,” she observes pointedly, highlighting the obvious implications.
Rising Exports Despite Increased Security Measures
Ecuadorian authorities, including police and armed forces, are actively attempting to control the situation at the nation’s ports.
Measures include maritime patrols, police canine units scanning banana shipments for cocaine, and even specialized police scuba divers searching for drugs concealed underwater, attached to ships.
The security presence is heavily armed, extending even to personnel guarding banana crates before loading. This heightened security is due to the high risk of violent confrontations if drugs are discovered, potentially involving corrupt port employees working with criminal groups.
Despite these intensified efforts, law enforcement acknowledges that the volume of cocaine successfully smuggled out of Ecuador has reached unprecedented levels. This increase is attributed to rising demand and underlying economic factors.
Ecuador’s interior ministry reports that nearly 300 tonnes of drugs were seized last year, setting a new annual record.
Europe-Bound Cocaine Seizures on the Rise
Major Christian Cozar Cueva of the National Police confirms a “roughly 30% increase in seizures destined for Europe in recent years.”
This escalation in cocaine shipments has amplified the dangers for individuals caught in the supply chain.
Truck driver “Juan” notes that the proliferation of “container contamination” has heightened his vulnerability. He recounts a recent incident where authorities seized a container carrying two tonnes of drugs: “It used to be kilos, now we talk about tonnes,” underscoring the sheer scale of the problem.
The stark choice facing many, as Juan explains, is stark: “If you don’t contaminate the containers, you have two options: leave the job or end up dead.”
Economic Vulnerability and Gang Recruitment
The economic downturn triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic has rendered more Ecuadorians susceptible to recruitment by criminal gangs.
Compounding this issue, a financially weakened state post-pandemic, a security apparatus with less experience dealing with sophisticated organized crime, and previously lenient visa policies have collectively facilitated the expansion of European gangs’ presence in Ecuador since 2020.
Monica Luzárraga pinpoints 2021 as the year when “Albanian mafia infiltration took off.”
She connects this period to a notable “influx” of Albanian nationals and a simultaneous surge in banana exports, including shipments to Albania itself.
“This is a profitable enterprise that harms Ecuador and enriches criminal organisations. How can we tolerate an economy built on suffering?” Luzárraga questions, highlighting the ethical and societal costs.
Ecuador’s Urgent Message to Europe Regarding Drug Consumption
The resentment towards foreign cartels is palpable, given their role in fueling escalating violence within Ecuador.
However, a consensus is emerging among both law enforcement and even some traffickers: the drug trade is fundamentally driven by consumer demand, predominantly in Europe, the United States, and Australia.
United Nations data reveals that global cocaine consumption has reached record highs. Surveys indicate that the United Kingdom now has the second-highest rate of cocaine use worldwide.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that the UK consumes approximately 117 tonnes of cocaine annually, making it the largest market in Europe.
Evidence suggests that cocaine consumption in the UK is continuing to rise.
Analysis of wastewater by the UK Home Office indicates a 7% increase in cocaine consumption between 2023 and 2024. NCA operations resulted in the seizure of approximately 232 tonnes of cocaine in 2024, up from 194 tonnes in 2023.
Charles Yates, the NCA’s deputy director of threat leadership, states that this high demand makes the UK the “country of choice” for organized crime groups profiting from the trade.
He estimates the UK cocaine market to be worth around £11 billion, with criminal gangs generating approximately £4 billion in profits annually within the UK alone.
Prosecutor José, who is actively combating these gangs in Ecuador, emphasizes the need for “countries whose nationals are consumers to exercise greater control” over those who finance the drug trade.
The victims of this trade are multifaceted. For banana industry representative Mr. Hidalgo, it is the economic and reputational damage suffered by banana exporters. For Ms. Luzárraga, the most vulnerable victims are “children, adolescents who are being co-opted by criminal gangs.”
“In Europe, there are citizens willing to pay large sums of money to obtain the drugs they consume. Drugs that are ultimately costing the lives of Ecuadorian citizens,” she laments.
The NCA stresses that beyond the “catastrophic” impact on communities throughout the supply chain, cocaine use is claiming lives directly through cardiovascular and psychological health consequences. Cocaine-related deaths in the UK surged by 30% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching 1,118 fatalities.
The NCA also warns that drug use, specifically cocaine, exacerbates domestic violence.
Mr. Yates is resolute that law enforcement supply-side interventions are insufficient on their own. “Supply-side action on its own is never going to be the answer. What’s really important is changing the demand,” he asserts, advocating for demand reduction strategies.
From drug gang members to the President of Ecuador, the message to Europe is consistent and clear.
President Daniel Noboa, campaigning for re-election in the upcoming presidential run-off, has prioritized combating criminal gangs and has deployed the military to address gang-related violence.
He stated to the BBC: “The chain that ends in ‘UK fun’ involves a lot of violence.”
“What’s fun for one person probably involves 20 homicides along the way,” President Noboa concluded, highlighting the devastating human cost of cocaine consumption in Europe and elsewhere.