The Albanian Mafia or Albanian Organized Crime (OC) are the general terms used for various criminal organizations based in Albania or composed of ethnic-Albanians. Albanian criminals are significantly active in the United States and the European Union (EU) countries, participating in a diverse range of criminal enterprises from to narcotics and gunrunning. Although the term "mafia" is often used as a description, it does not imply that all Albanian criminal activities are coordinated or regulated by an overarching governing body headquartered in Albania proper, Kosovo or elsewhere. Despite media reports that often have the effect of suggesting an emerging global Albanian mafia "movement" or network, this interpretation has not been substantiated. Reports of "Albanian Mafia" and Albanian criminal activity are used by some to take shots at Albania, wheareas others claim that crime and criminals exist in every country.
History
Albanian organized crime has it's roots in traditional family-based clans. From roughly the 15th century under the prince Lekë Dukagjini, the clans operated under a set of laws known as kanun, literally meaning code in Albanian. It heavily valued loyalty to one's clan and secrecy, or besa. Each clan ruled over and controlled a certain area, and occasionally this gave rise to violence, and blood feuds known as Gjakmarrja. It is these principles of kanun that gave rise to Albanian organized crime today, and make it more difficult for Albanian gangs to be infiltrated by law enforcement.
There had always been black market activities under the communist regime. After the collapse of communism in the late 80's, Albania's newfound connections to the rest of the world led to the expansion of it's organized crime groups to an international level.
The Kosovo War played a key role in the rise of the Albanian mafia throughout Europe. Traditionally, heroin had been transported to Western Europe from Turkey via Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. This route had closed as a result of the war and Albanian gangs found themselves in an ideal position to guarantee safe routes through the war zone, at first only assisting other criminal groups but eventually growing powerful enough to take over on their own. A key base of operations was Veliki Trnovac in southern Serbia, which quickly gave it the nickname the "Medellín of the Balkans". Once the war had reached Kosovo proper, ethnic Albanians were added to the list of nationals qualifying for 'refugee' status. Since it was impossible to tell Kosovo Albanians from the rest, gangsters took advantage of the situation and spread quickly throughout Europe, first going to Albanian communities in Germany and Switzerland and taking over the heroin trade there. According to some experts, Albanian gangs are now the most powerful in Europe and have actually managed to muscle out the Italian Mafia out of the people smuggling business.[1]
In the United States, Albanian gangs started to be active in the mid-80s, mostly participating in low-level crimes such as burglaries and robberies. Later, they would become affiliated with Cosa Nostra crime families before eventually growing strong enough to operate their own organizations.[2]
Relationship with the KLA
The nature of the relationship between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and Albanian organized crime has been a controversial subject. During the 1990s the KLA was viewed by many, including top US government personnel, as a freedom fighting organization struggling for the rights of ethnic Albanians, while others claimed that the KLA was a terrorist group financed and guided by the United States. For example, Senator Joe Lieberman said regarding the KLA: "The United States and the Kosovo Liberation Army stand for the same values and principles...fighting for the KLA is fighting for human rights and American values."[3]. In 1999 the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee accentuated widespread allegations of the KLA's criminal connections, claiming that a "major portion of the KLA finances are derived from [criminal] networks, mainly proceeds from drug trafficking" the report goes on to say that former president Bill Clinton's befriending of the group is "consistent Clinton policy of cultivating relationships with groups known for terrorist violence... in what may be a strategy of attempting to wean away a group from its penchant for violence by adopting its cause as an element of U.S. policy."[4]
Activity in the United States
The FBI's prosecution of traditional Italian-American Mob Families in the 1990s weakened the Lucchese Family so greatly that the Rudaj Organization, of the Albanian Mob, were able to take over the Italian organization’s gambling operations in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. And when the Lucchese Family was run out of the district, the Gambinos, another Italian-American Mafia Family, attempted to take their place before the Albanians could take full control of Astoria's gambling rackets. But the Rudaj Organization was able to hold their own against them, so the Gambinos gave up and accepted the fact that illegal gambling in Astoria was no longer under Italian-American rule.
The Rudaj Organization is the name given to the so-called Albanian mafia in the New York City area in a 44-page indictment unsealed on October 26, 2004. The FBI and Manhattan U.S. Attorney David Kelley announced the arrest of the group's alleged boss, Alex Rudaj, and twenty-six other reputed gang members indicted in connection with racketeering, attempted murder, robbery, extortion, gambling and loan-sharking. Kelley's office said it believes the indictment is the first federal racketeering case in the United States against an alleged organized crime enterprise run by Albanians.[5] Alex Rudaj and five of his gang members were later convicted of racketeering on January 4, 2006.[6]
References
- ^ Thompson, Tony. Gangs: A Journey into the heart of the British Underworld, 2004 ISBN 0-340-83053-0
- ^ FBI information on Balkan organized crime
- ^ Washington Post, April 28, 1999
- ^ U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee, Larry E. Craig, Chairman, March 31, 1999
- ^ The Johnsville News: The Rudaj Organization aka: The Albanian Mafia, November 1, 2004
- ^ The Johnsville News: Alex Rudaj - Albanian Mafia - Convicted in Racketeering Trial, January 5, 2006
Of particular concern to law enforcement personnel, however, has been the level of organized Albanian activity within the U.S. By the early to mid-1980's, Albanians in area cities and suburbs outside Detroit and New York were already involved in crimes ranging from robbery to extortion. Indeed, by 1985, Albanians were already gaining notoriety for their drug trafficking. This activity became predominant among the so-called Balkan Route which begins in Central Asia, through Istanbul to Belgrade and, with Sicilian and French connections, makes its way to the US. American Drug Enforcement Administration officials estimated that between 25 percent and 40 percent of the US heroin supply by 1985 was taking this route, with Albanian assistance.
Ten years later, more organized, disciplined and out on their own, Albanian crime gangs have increased the scope of both their activities and geographic locations within the United States. By January 1995, authorities estimated that approximately 10 million U.S. dollars in cash and merchandise had been stolen from some 300 supermarkets, ATM machines, jewelry stores and restaurants. By the early 1990's, groups based in the New York area, particularly the Bronx, were committing robberies with such frequency and success that local law enforcement officials realized federal assistance would be required. The FBI, however, was equally at a loss as to the nature, extent, and structure of these groups. After examination of several criminal incidents, some conclusions were made. First, it appeared that many of the thefts which occurred were carried out, in an attempt to fund either the war effort in the former Yugoslavia, or to assist fellow Albanians in Macedonia and Kosovo. Concern among those area authorities, as previously stated, was that this source of funding was aiding those more right wing elements that are stockpiling weapons awaiting the right time for future insurrection. Second, it appeared that the Albanians operating within the US had a series of crews separated into premier and second class units depending upon the difficulty of the job.
The FBI's prosecution of traditional Italian-American Mob Families in the 1990s weakened the Lucchese Family so greatly that the Rudaj Organization,of the Albanian Mob, were able to take over the Italian organization’s gambling operations in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. And when the Lucchese Family was run out of the district, the Gambinos, another Italian-American Mafia Family, attempted to take their place before the Albanians could take full control of Astoria's gambling rackets. But the Rudaj Organization was able to hold their own against them, so the Gambinos gave up and accepted the fact that illegal gambling in Astoria was no longer under Italian-American rule.
The Rudaj Organization is the name given to the so-called Albanian mafia in the New York City area in a 44-page indictment unsealed on October 26, 2004. The FBI and Manhattan U.S. Attorney David Kelley announced the arrest of the group's alleged boss, Alex Rudaj, and twenty-six other reputed gang members indicted in connection with racketeering, attempted murder, robbery, extortion, gambling and loan-sharking. Kelley's office said it believes the indictment is the first federal racketeering case in the United States against an alleged organized crime enterprise run by Albanians.[5] Alex Rudaj and five of his gang members were later convicted of racketeering on January 4, 2006.