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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND HISTORY Ethnic Albanian criminal organizations have proven particularly difficult for law enforcement agencies, largely due to a unique Albanian social structure and culture that dates back centuries and makes inflitration by outsiders nearly impossible. Dusan Janjic, Coordinator of the Forum for Ethnic Relations in dictator Enver Hoxa . After Albania became a Democracy in 1991, these ''fis'' increased their criminal control of Albania and, during the collapse of the Albanian economy in 1997 , the 15 ''fis'' consolidated complete domination over criminal activity in Albania. Corruption has reached to the very top of Albanian politics, so much so that the Albanian parliament has been dubbed by some observers as the " Kalashnikov parliament" because of its apparent indifference to organized crime and close ties to weapons dealers.Frank Cilluffo & George Salmoiraghi, ''And the Winner is...The Albanian Mafia'', p. 24 The Washington Quarterly 1999 RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KLA The nature of the relationship between the and American values." Washington Post, April 28, 1999. In 1999 the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee accentuated widespread allegations of KLAs criminal connections, claiming that a "major portion of the KLA finances are derived from {Link without Title} 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."U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee, Larry E. Craig, Chairman, March 31, 1999 A unique characteristic of Albanian criminal organizations is that, despite a dedication to traditional criminal activities, many members are also deeply influenced by patriotic sympathies. The crimes committed by the Serbs against ethnic-Albanians in Kosovo developed a strong sense of group identity that inspired both legitimate freedom fighters and criminal elements to contribute to the insurrection under the leadership of the KLA. Unfortunately, co-opting criminal membership and financing has resulted in an overall dominance of the organization by mafia groups which has extended into the KLA's successor, the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC, TMK in Albanian). However, it cannot be stressed enough that neither the KLA nor subsequent groups operating in Kosovo represent homogenous organizations - whether considered on ideological, religious, or criminal backgrounds. ALBANIAN MAFIA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION Since the late 1990s Albanian OC has managed to expand in operational capacity and currently has a moderate to high presense in almost all the countries of the European Union. A key feature of Albanian OC groups is their graduation from a role as facilitators and service providors to established OC groups, taking over certain criminal markets once they have acquired the necessary knowledge. It is important to note, however, that Albanian groups have not entirely abandoned their role as criminal service providers, although this has moved in a new direction. For example, Albanians are acting as intermediaries for recently announced that they consider ethnic Albanians to be the largest non-indigenous OC group in their countries.2004 European Union Organised Crime Report In the United Kingdom it is alleged that the Heroin , vice and false identity trades all have a significant Albanian element. A 2001 Home Office briefing estimated that around 70 percent of massage parlours in London 's Soho area are now controlled by Albanians, particularly Kosovars. The briefing added that the "tightening grip" of Albanian gangs on the vice trade was "changing the landscape" of Britain's sex industry. The Albanian mafia's establishment of a foothold in Britain is of deep concern to law enforcement agencies, which have been concerned by the crime network's growing presence in other parts of Europe. A concerted police raid on Soho brothels in February 2001 revealed that 80 percent of women working as prostitutes were from overseas, mostly from the Balkans and Baltic states. According to the National Criminal Intelligence Service , Albanian women are also being moved to red light areas in the north of England and the Midlands. Nearly a decade ago it was predicted that the Russian Mafia would seek to exert influence over the British vice trade but instead it is Albanian gangs that have taken control. Ian Burrell, ''Albanian Mafia Takes Control of Soho Vice Scene'', The Independent , June 2001 ALBANIAN MAFIA IN THE UNITED STATES Albanian immigration to the United States began in limited amounts in the early 1900s, increased during the 1960s and peaked during and after the conflict in Kosovo. During the 1970s Albanian expatriates in the eastern US were actively recruited as couriers, transporters or assassins for the established Italian Mafia . The efficiency and brutality with which these members conducted criminal affairs helped them advance within the Mafia network, so much so, that by 1996 many of the primary assassins for the Gambino Crime Family were ethnic Albanians. In 1985 Rudolph Guiliani led a prosecution team against the "Balkan Connection" - an ethnic Albanian criminal operation involved in trafficking Heroin from Afghanistan and Turkey , via Kosovo into the US. After being caught with at least $125 million in heroin, members of this group issued a $400,000 murder contract The Wall Street Journal , September 9, 1985, pp.1,18 on the prosecutor Alan Cohen and the detective Jack Delemore, both placed under protective custody as the result.M. Bozinovich ''The New Islamic Mafia'', Serbianna.com The FBI's prosecution of traditional Italian-American Mob Families in the 1990s weakened the Luchese 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 Luchese Family was ran 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.The Johnsville News: ''The Rudaj Organization aka: The Albanian Mafia'', November 1, 2004 Alex Rudaj and five of his gang members were later convicted of racketeering on January 4, 2006.The Johnsville News: ''Alex Rudaj - Albanian Mafia - Convicted in Racketeering Trial'', January 5, 2006 SEE ALSO |
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