Post by drussthelegend on Feb 17, 2008 13:18:59 GMT 10
The Albanian mafia (AM) AKA Albanian Organized Crime (AOC) 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.
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.
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.
Activity in Europe
Albanian gangs have a foothold mainly in eastern europe and work under/alongside "'Ndrangheta" in southern Italy.
Activity in the United States
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 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, jewellery 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. 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. Alex Rudaj and five of his gang members were later convicted of racketeering on January 4, 2006.
*Kanun. Here are some resources i found it doesnt actually tell you the code though i will try and find it and keep you posted but i did find some more on the albanian mafia
www.photoreportage-news.com/pages/pagesmaf/index.htm
** Gjakmarrja. In line with Albania's ancient social code known as Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit or simply Kanun (English: The Code of Lekë Dukagjini), someone is allowed to kill another person to avenge an earlier murder. Gjakmarrja (meaning "Blood feud" or "Revenge Killing") refers to this practice.
According to some reports, there has been a revival of instances of Gjakmarrja, due to the lack of state control, since the collapse of communism, in remote parts of Albania (mainly in the North of the country) and rare occasions in Kosovo. The Albanian Helsinki Committee considers one reason for the pervasiveness of the blood feud to be the malfunction of the judicial structure.
Ismet Elezi, a professor of law in Tirana University, believes that in spite of the Kanun's endorsement for blood vengeance, there are strict rules on how this may be carried out, banning the revenge killings of women, children or elderly persons.
***Kosovo war.A brief war fought in 1999 between NATO and Serbia, the main remnant of the former Yugoslavia, over the status of the Yugoslavian province of Kosovo. In 1998, Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic sent Serbian troops to take back areas of Kosovo controlled by ethnic Albanian guerrillas, triggering a NATO air campaign in 1999. The war ended when Serbia agreed to a peace agreement sponsored by the United Nations.
Resources:
Albanian Mafia (AM/AOC):http://www.answers.com/topic/albanian-mafia
Gjakmarrja:http://www.answers.com/topic/gjakmarrja
Kosovo war:http://www.answers.com/topic/kosovo-war
Editors Note: I dont Know how reliable this stuff is sorry guys but at least it gives us a brief outline.
Scott
P.S and yes i did just copy and paste ;D
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.
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.
Activity in Europe
Albanian gangs have a foothold mainly in eastern europe and work under/alongside "'Ndrangheta" in southern Italy.
Activity in the United States
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 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, jewellery 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. 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. Alex Rudaj and five of his gang members were later convicted of racketeering on January 4, 2006.
*Kanun. Here are some resources i found it doesnt actually tell you the code though i will try and find it and keep you posted but i did find some more on the albanian mafia
www.photoreportage-news.com/pages/pagesmaf/index.htm
** Gjakmarrja. In line with Albania's ancient social code known as Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit or simply Kanun (English: The Code of Lekë Dukagjini), someone is allowed to kill another person to avenge an earlier murder. Gjakmarrja (meaning "Blood feud" or "Revenge Killing") refers to this practice.
According to some reports, there has been a revival of instances of Gjakmarrja, due to the lack of state control, since the collapse of communism, in remote parts of Albania (mainly in the North of the country) and rare occasions in Kosovo. The Albanian Helsinki Committee considers one reason for the pervasiveness of the blood feud to be the malfunction of the judicial structure.
Ismet Elezi, a professor of law in Tirana University, believes that in spite of the Kanun's endorsement for blood vengeance, there are strict rules on how this may be carried out, banning the revenge killings of women, children or elderly persons.
***Kosovo war.A brief war fought in 1999 between NATO and Serbia, the main remnant of the former Yugoslavia, over the status of the Yugoslavian province of Kosovo. In 1998, Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic sent Serbian troops to take back areas of Kosovo controlled by ethnic Albanian guerrillas, triggering a NATO air campaign in 1999. The war ended when Serbia agreed to a peace agreement sponsored by the United Nations.
Resources:
Albanian Mafia (AM/AOC):http://www.answers.com/topic/albanian-mafia
Gjakmarrja:http://www.answers.com/topic/gjakmarrja
Kosovo war:http://www.answers.com/topic/kosovo-war
Editors Note: I dont Know how reliable this stuff is sorry guys but at least it gives us a brief outline.
ScottP.S and yes i did just copy and paste ;D
