Inside the covert operation to stop Albanian gang leaders flooding Britain's streets with cocaine

A covert operation has been launched to stop Albanian gangsters flooding Britain's streets with cocaine and bringing down their criminal empires linked to human and sex trafficking.

Foreign Office and Home Office officials have jointly launched the “Crime State Nexus” to target organized criminals and the crooked Balkan politicians who assist them.

Details of the operation were revealed in government court documents relating to a legal battle over the decision to ban former Albanian President Sali Berisha from the UK.

Albanian gangs have been described in legal documents as an “acute threat” to Britain by being “highly prevalent in serious and organized crime” through their involvement in the British cocaine market, people trafficking and sex trafficking.

The newspapers also cite data showing that Albanians are by far the largest foreign nationality in British prisons, making up an eighth of all criminals incarcerated.

Mr Berisha appealed to the Special Immigration Appeals Board in London against former Home Secretary Priti Patel's decision to ban him from entering the UK – with the decision being expected next month in that case, the Times reported.

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The appeal documents claim that the links between politics and crime in Albania create a “permissive environment in which serious criminals and OCGs (organized crime gangs) can operate and benefit from the political protection of corrupt politicians against the activities of law enforcement.

The papers also claim that political protection gives gangs more options for laundering money and means Albania can be used as “a safe haven from which to operate”.

These gangs can then buy votes or intimidate voters in elections to help politicians, the documents claim.

The Crime State Nexus project attempts to take action against politically exposed people in Albania, which may include banning them from Britain. The fundamental objective is therefore to break the links between politics, business and illicit activities.

Mr. Berisha, 79, who served as Albanian prime minister from 2005 to 2013 and president from 1992 to 1997, is under investigation over a land deal.

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He was charged with corruption last October for allegedly abusing his position to help his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, buy land in Tirana owned by both private citizens and the Defense Ministry, and build 17 residential buildings.

Mr. Berisha and Mr. Malltezi have both maintained their innocence, alleging that the matter was a political decision by Prime Minister Edi Rama's ruling Socialist Party.

Mr. Berisha, re-elected as a Democratic Party deputy in 2021, has been under house arrest since last December while he is under investigation.

Prosecutors said if convicted, he could face a prison sentence of up to 12 years.

The US government in May 2021 and the UK government in July 2022 banned Mr. Berisha and members of his immediate family from entering their countries due to their alleged involvement in corruption.

Last week, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron visited Tirana to discuss initiatives to help Albania tackle gangs smuggling people across the Channel and fueling drug crime UK.

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However, the visit was cut short after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a snap summer election on July 4.

After a surge in 2022 in the number of Albanian nationals arriving in the UK on small boats, the two countries' governments have struck a deal to work together to stop people making the journey.

This included placing UK Border Force personnel at Tirana airport, exchanging senior police officers and establishing a joint migration task force.

This is likely to have contributed to a 93% drop in the number of Albanians crossing the Channel, from 12,658 in 2022 to 922 between January 1 and November 29, 2023.

As part of the returns deal, the UK has deported 26,000 people over the last year, including almost 6,000 Albanians, the Foreign Office said.

Earlier this month, Britain handed Albania £1.6 million worth of cameras and drones in a bid to stop Channel smuggling gangs.

But the number of migrants arriving in the UK has continued to rise despite government efforts to curb crossings.

Provisional Home Office figures show 10,170 people arrived in the UK in 2024 up to and including last Friday after making the journey from France.

This is a new record for the first five months of a calendar year since records began in 2018. In 2023, we will have to wait until June 17 to reach the figure of 10,000.