To understand the international heroin trade it is essential to understand Albanian organized Crime. This is because it is the Albanians who are the link between Afghan and Pakistani heroin growers [Pictured Left], Turkish producers and the world market. The Albanians are among the world's most well connected criminals. In order for them to ply their trade they deal with the Italian N'dranheta, Camorra, Stidda and Mafia, as well as the Russian Solsentskya mob, Polish organized crime (who are among Europe's main methamphetimine producers) and Nigerian, Colombian, Mexican, Serbian, British, Irish, Dutch and Kurdish criminal syndicates. In fact they work with every group around the world. Their most troubling links perhaps are with terrorist groups from Serbia to Afghanistan.

Structural links between politically connected terrorist groups and criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking (heroin), armed robbery, extortion and the illicit smuggling of humans became a major problem for the world's nations during the 1990s as state's became more reluctant to fund terrorist groups. Terrorists and organized criminals became hinged at the waist as both saw that they could make money together. In fact all terror groups need money and they gain this from organized criminal activity, thus making the members part time terrorists and full time criminals. The Albanians perhaps more so than many other groups have become dependent on their relationships with terror groups and the governments of terror connected groups. The Taliban after all was in control of most of the world's heroin supply; the Afghan Northern Alliance has now taken over this role and thus the Albanian connections.

Albanian organized crime groups are hybrid organizations. These groups are involved in both crime and politics. Unlike many organized crime groups many of the Albanian organizations do have a political ideology, which governs their actions.

In 1986 the break up of the "Pizza connection" made it possible for other ethnic crime groups to occupy the terrain of the Italian and Italian American crime families. This was especially easy for the Albanian groups because they had worked extremely closely with the Sicilian Mafia and their American counterparts since at least the early 1970`s. Due to a highly developed ethnic conscience- fortified by a Serb anti-Albanian politics in the 1980`s and 90`s Albanians, particularly Kosovars, began to develop a sense of a collective identity which precipitated their involvement in organized crime which was again, based on clan loyalties and family ties. It is this element, which brought together the clans to do business. Pan Albanian beliefs emerged and a sense of anti government was fostered amongst the groups. This is the exact condition, which facilitated the transformation of the mafia in Italy during the 19th century.

Albanian drug lords spread out throughout Europe and with them came their networks. The end of the conflict in Kosovo sparked the emergence of the Albanian crime lords as major players in the international drug trade. The United States had also inadvertently created these organizations as they allied themselves with the KLA against Slobodan Milosevic. The former freedom fighters emerged in the mid 90`s as nothing more than Europe's most powerful heroin cartel.

When the war was over a flood of humanity swept throughout the Balkans. Thousands of Kosovar Albanians returned home from refugee camps. Many of these refugees returned to find that Mercedes Benzes lined the streets of certain neighborhoods and young men with hooded eyes and bulky suits were now the main power on the streets.

The main criminal elements, which emerged, became known as the 15 families. These families had essentially been smuggling contraband for hundreds of years, however the war in Kosovo had made them extremely wealthy as they profited from the sale of weapons and the trafficking in heroin which was facilitated by corrupt officials and KLA terrorists. The entire region was essentially unpoliced. Albania was in a state of anarchy and the 15 families became the local powers. Each of these 15 families is clan based and maintains their own private armies. These armies evolved to form the KLA, which is a direct offshoot of organized crime enforcement operations. Similar to Columbia's AUC or the Los Pepes organization, which was a paramilitary wing of the Cali Cartel. The 15 families grew wealthy. They were doing $2 billion dollars a year in heroin by 2000. They grew to become so powerful that today fully 80% of Europe's heroin travels through Albania. Many European heroin addicts refer to the product as the "Albanian lady" or "Albanka."

The heroin is shipped exclusively from western Asia. The Albanians procure their product from Afghan producers. From Afghanistan the opium is shipped through Iran into Turkey. In Turkey the opium is refined into heroin and it is then sold to the Albanians for shipment into Europe. What the Mexican drug cartels are for the North American cocaine trade, the Albanian cartels are for the European heroin trade. They are the UPS of the drug underworld.

The war in Bosnia spread Albanians throughout Europe. As many criminals spread throughout Europe they came into contact with the Organized crime elements around Europe. This increased their power and profitability. Both the Mafia and the Russian Mayfia relied on the Albanians for their supply of heroin. With their newfound funds the Albanians began to purchase banks.

Albanian smugglers accumulated a massive influx of cash from the sale of weapons, drugs, people and tobacco products. They quickly discovered they needed to launder their money. With Kosovo in a state of near anarchy these groups had little trouble becoming involved in the banking system. This made them the brokers of the underworld. They could now launder the ill-gotten gains of their Russian and Italian business partners, for a price. This obviously proved to be extremely lucrative for these organizations.

The most powerful boss of the 15 families was Daut Kadriovski. Kadriovski was one of Europe's most powerful drug traffickers. Kadriovski [pictured Right] was arrested in 1985 in Germany. Authorities confiscated numerous Villas, yachts, and cars, which belonged to the kingpin. He was placed in jail and everyone believed they had heard the last of Daut, however he managed to bribe his way out of jail and in 1993 he headed for the United States. He is believed to be operating in the United States today and is believed to work through several businesses in the New York City and Philadelphia areas. He is a known associate of the local Cosa Nostra families. Kadriovski remains a fugitive and he very well may be among the most powerful heroin traffickers in North America. His organization is believed to be North America's main source of Golden Crescent (Afghanistan) heroin. Kosovar Albanian traffickers have consolidated their power and have become major suppliers of poppies to Colombian networks, which are much newer to the business. The Albanians have also forged a heroin for cocaine connection with the Columbians, which makes them one of Europe`s main sources for cocaine and allows them to procure vast sums of cash, which they then launder in their banks producing even more money. These are among the world's most innovative syndicates.

The Kosovar Albanian traffickers have become Europe's preeminent heroin traffickers as well as major cocaine traffickers. They have in house money laundering system and political connections that most criminal organizations only dream about. They are also among the underworld's most connected outfits and the majority of their bosses and operatives remain unknown to law enforcement. The 15 Kosovar Albanian families are beginning to become the most powerful criminal organizations you have never heard about.