Tracking the main cocaina route to Europe

“Albanian mafia would call me and say,” We want to send 500 kg of drugs. “If you don’t accept, they kill you.”

Sesar (not his real name) is a member of the Latin kings, a criminal gang in Ecuador. He was recruited by a corrupt police officer with a stable work for work in the Albanian Mafia, one of the most prolific networks of cocaine in Europe.

Albanian mafia has expanded its presence in Ecuador in recent years, carried out on key trade routes in the country, and now it controls most of the cocaine flow from South America to Europe.

Despite the fact that Ecuador does not produce drugs, 70% of world cocaine now goes through its ports, says Ecuador President Daniel Novoa.

It is smuggling to the country from neighboring Colombia and Peru, two cocaine largest producers.

Police say they confiscated a record number of prohibited drugs last year, most of his cocaine, and that it indicates total exports.

The consequences of the deadly: in January 2025, 781 murder occurred, which made it the most deadly month in recent years. Many were associated with drug trafficking.

We talked to people in the supply chain to understand why this crisis is deteriorating – and how the European consumption of cocaine increases.

The 36 -year -old Sesar started working with cartels for the first time when he was 14 years old, citing bad employment opportunities as one of the factors.

“Albana needed someone to solve problems,” he explains. “I knew the port guard, transport drivers, CCTV headquarters.”

It bribes them to help smuggle drugs into Ecuador ports or close your eyes – and a random camera.

After cocaine arrives in Ecuador of Colombia or Peru, it is hidden in warehouses until its Albanian employers learn about the shipping container, which will leave one of the ports for Europe.

The gangs use three main methods to restructure cocaine into supplies: hide drugs in the cargo before it reaches the port, breaking into a container in the port or attaching drugs to the sea ships.

Sometimes César has made up to $ 3,000 (2235 pounds) for one job, but an incentive is not only money: “If you don’t work, the Albanians ask you.”

Sesar says he feels regret for his role in drug trafficking, especially what he calls “the sacrifice”.

But he believes that the guilt lies on consumer countries. “If the consumption continues to grow, there will be a trade. It will be stopped,” he says, “When they fight there, it will end here.”

Ordinary workers, not just members of the gang, get into this supply chain.

Juan, not his real name, the truck driver. One day he lifted the shipment of tuna to go to the port. He says something seemed.

“The first alarm bell was when we went to the warehouse, and it had only a cargo, nothing else. It was rented, not the name of the company,” he recalls.

“Two months later, I saw the news that the containers were confiscated in Amsterdam full of drugs. We never knew.”

Some drivers are unconsciously transporting drugs; Others are forced – when they refuse, they are killed.

European gangs are attracted to Ecuador for its location, but also its legal exports, which provides a convenient way to hide illegal goods.

“Banana exports are 66% of the containers leaving Ecuador, 29.81% go to the European Union, where drug consumption is growing,” explains the banana representative Jose Antonio Hidalga.

Some gangs have even created fake fruits or export companies to Europe and Ecuador as a front for illegal activities.

“These European traders are human trafficking as businessmen,” says “Jose” (not his real name), a prosecutor who is aimed at organized criminal groups and anonymously spoke from the threats he received.

One known examples is Dittan Jick, which is accused of one of the most powerful Mafia leaders in Ecuador.

Prosecutors say he had stakes in the export of fruits in Ecuador, and imported companies in Europe, which he used for the movement of cocaine. He remains during the course, but many of his accomplices encountered criminal records after multinational police work.

Monica Luzaraga’s lawyer defended one of his associates and is now honestly talking about his knowledge of how these networks work.

“During these years, Banana exports to Albania,” she says.

It seems to be disappointed that the authorities have not previously gathered two and two together, that criminal groups used it as a front: “The whole economy is stagnant here. But one item that has increased in exports is bananas. So, two plus two equal four.”

Police and armed forces are trying to control the situation in Ecuador ports.

The boats patrol the water, the police scan the banana boxes for cocaine bricks – even police divers are looking for drugs hidden under the ships.

All are very armed, even those who just protect the banana boxes before they are loaded into cargo containers. This is because if the drugs are found during the search, the corrupt port is likely to participate and it can cause a fierce incident.

Despite these efforts, the police say that the amount of cocaine, which successfully smuggled Ecuador has reached a record high. Demand and economic factors are accused.

Last year, nearly 300 tons of drugs were confiscated – a new annual recording, the Ecuador Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.

Kuev’s main Christian barracks from the National Police say that in recent years there has been an increase in the seizures by 30%, which has headed to Europe. “

Such an increase in sending cocaine made it more dangerous for those who got into the supply chain.

The driver of the “Juan” truck says that the lifting of “containers” makes it more vulnerable.

He says the officials confiscated the container with two tons of drugs: “It used to be a kilogram, now we are talking about tones.”

“If you don’t pollute the containers, you have two options: leave work or finish dead.”

The economy that beat the pandemic that remained more Ecuador is vulnerable to the gang.

The state, which was financially stretched after the pandemic, the force of security, which had less experience of fighting organized crime, and previously Lax Visa rules contributed to the presence of European gangs after 2020.

Monica Luzaraga says that 2021 was the year when “the infiltration of the Albanian mafia flew.”

According to her, this period coincided with the “tributary” of Albania citizens and spikes of bananas, including Albania.

“This is a profitable business that damages Ecuador and benefits criminal organizations. How can we accept the economy built on suffering?”

This annoyance to foreign cartels is not surprising, given their contribution to the growth of violence.

But one thing that some traders and those who fight them agree: trade is fueled by consumers, especially in Europe, the US and Australia.

Data shows Global Cocaine consumption has reached the recording level. His polls believe the UK has the second largest cocaine.

According to the National Agency of Crimes in the UK (NCA), the UK consumes about 117 tons of cocaine annually and has the largest market in Europe.

Data suggest that the UK consumption is growing.

The analysis of the UK home office on wastewater suggests that cocaine consumption increased by 7% from 2023 to 2024. NCA operations seized about 232 tons of cocaine in 2024 compared to 194 tons in 2023.

The Deputy Director for NCA threats, Charles Yates, says it makes the UK “country of choice” for organized criminal groups that make profits from high demand.

The UK cocaine estimates that the market costs about $ 11 billion ($ 14.2 billion), and criminal gangs make about £ 4 billion a year alone in the UK.

Those who fight these gangs in Ecuador, as the Jose Prosecutor say, is “countries whose citizens are consumers to carry out more control” to those who financed trade.

Its victims take many forms.

For Mr. Idalga, it’s banana exporters who suffer from reputation and economic damage. For Ms Luzaraga, it is “children, teenagers who are criminal gangs.”

“In Europe, there are citizens who want to pay a large amount of money to have the drugs they consume. The drugs that ultimately cost the lives of Ecuador citizens.”

NCA emphasizes that, like these “catastrophic” influences on the community along the supply chain, the use of cocaine requires additional victims in users from the heart -vascular and psychological consequences. Death related to cocaine in the UK increased by 30% in 2023 compared to 2022 to 1118.

The NCA also warns that the drug tightens the family violence.

It is clear that the efforts of law enforcement agencies are not enough: “The most nutritional activity will never be the answer. What is really important, changes in demand.”

From drug members to the president of the country, it is also a message to Ecuador to Europe.

President Daniel Novoa, Who is worth the second term As a result of the April 13 presidential election, the fight against criminals was one of his main priorities and launched the military to fight violence related to gangs.

He said the BBC: “The Network ending” UK “provides a lot of violence.”

“What is fun for one person is probably 20 murders along the way.”

Additional Jessica Cruz reporting