The Albanian mafia has significantly expanded its influence in Belgium, evolving from small-scale criminal activity into a major player in international drug trafficking and money laundering, according to a joint investigation by Belgian outlets.
The investigation, conducted by Knack, Le Soir and RTBF, found that more than 2,000 Albanian nationals are currently wanted in Belgium as part of ongoing federal judicial police investigations.
According to François Farcy, director of the Federal Judicial Police in Liège, Albanian organised crime has changed dramatically over the past quarter-century.
While Albanian criminal groups were primarily linked to burglaries and limited cocaine trafficking in the early 2000s, they are now involved in large-scale drug operations and sophisticated money-laundering networks.
The findings highlight the growing role of Albanian criminal organisations within Belgium's illicit drug market, particularly in the cocaine trade, which has expanded alongside record seizures at the Port of Antwerp in recent years.
The investigation examined the involvement of Albanian suspects in Belgian judicial cases between 2020 and 2026, shedding light on the increasing internationalisation and professionalisation of organised crime networks operating in the country.
