Ecuadorian lawmakers alleged that Varela started working with Gjika when she was posted at an airport in the province of Guayas. She supposedly helped Gjika by placing trusted police officers in key locations to facilitate his drug trafficking operations, they believe.
To ensure cocaine was received in Europe, Gjika worked with Mario Sánchez Rinaldi, an Argentinian-Italian businessman based in Spain’s Costa del Sol. Rinaldi played a key role in laundering the organization’s profits, according to Spanish and Ecuadorian authorities. Together, they had end-to-end control over a cocaine route from Colombia to Europe. InSight Crime contacted Rinaldi’s lawyer but did not receive a response.
The First Cracks
As law enforcement pressure on his operations grew, Gjika seemed to adapt, changing smuggling methods when necessary.
In 2020, Dutch police seized a shipment of 1.1 tons of cocaine allegedly belonging to Gjika. In response, Gjika seemingly switched from using his own companies to mostly using a method known as rip-on rip-off, in which shipping containers of non-complicit third parties are opened and drugs added. Once the containers arrive at the destination port, the drugs are removed by gang members, often aided by corrupt port workers.
Gjika’s knowledge and contacts in the export sector were allegedly key in this transition. His organization had access to port infrastructure in Ecuador and privileged shipping data, according to Ecuadorian and Spanish police.
SEE ALSO: Albania’s Largest Cocaine Seizure Points to New European Routes
On a single day in June 2021, Gjika and Cherres founded eight companies, most in the construction sector. Six have since come under investigation for money laundering. Between 2015 and 2024, the organization laundered at least $31 million through these and other companies, according to Ecuador’s public prosecutor.
However, in mid-2021, Ecuador’s anti-narcotics police launched an investigation that identified Gjika as the head of a cocaine trafficking scheme that involved Cherres and other Ecuadorian businessmen.
Varela, then the chief of police, appears to have saved them from prosecution. She took the investigators off the case in September 2021, and reassigned them to zones across Ecuador. The case was closed months later in January 2022, just after Varela was removed from office by then-President Lasso.
In May 2024, public prosecutor Diana Salazar revealed the existence of an investigation into Varela and two other police generals for assigning personnel and leaving criminal acts unpunished.
Varela denied allegations connecting her to the criminal structure in February. InSight Crime was unable to contact her.
The Empire Crumbles
Gjika came under increasing scrutiny in early 2023 when a flurry of media reports mentioned his name in relation to a high-level corruption scheme.
On January 9, 2023, the Ecuadorian newspaper La Posta released details surrounding a graft scheme headed by Carrera and Cherres. Lasso, meanwhile, affirmed his support for Carrera.
Then, on February 13, 2023, La Posta published the leaked 2021 police investigation that linked Cherres, and by extension, Carrera, to Gjika and his drug trafficking network. This revealed Gjika’s operations to the public, and led to the reopening of the police investigation closed in January 2022.
SEE ALSO: ‘Clan Farruku’ Arrests Highlight Albanians’ Latin America Cocaine Connections
And, finally, on February 23, 2023, a group of lawmakers led by journalist and then-congress member Fernando Villavicencio published a report with more details on Gjika’s connections to drug trafficking. The report also provided details on the alleged relationship between Varela and Gjika and claimed that Lasso had known about the ties between Carrera, Cherres, and the Albanian drug trafficker since July 2021.
The subsequent national uproar placed Lasso under intense scrutiny over the alleged activities of his brother-in-law and his government’s efforts to cover them up. The investigation into Carrera was reopened, and the possible links with Albanian drug traffickers contributed to a political scandal that culminated in an impeachment proceeding against Lasso. Villavicencio was murdered months later during his political campaign for the presidency.
Escaping the Heat
Gjika reportedly left Ecuador on January 9, 2023, the same day as the first release of information by La Posta.
Since then, it is unclear whether he has continued his drug trafficking operations. In March 2023, his long-term business partner Cherres was killed. Cherres had been a key witness in the judicial procedure against Gjika’s drug trafficking network. Carrera is under investigation by Ecuador’s Attorney General for running a corruption network together with Cherres. He did not respond to InSight Crime’s request for comment.
Wiretaps released in March 2024 suggest Gjika may have wanted Cherres dead over an unpaid debt.
It also appears Gjika has dumped shares in several of his other companies, including Agricomtrade, onto members of his criminal organization. These members have since been charged with money laundering for Gjika’s organization through illicit transactions using these companies.
The joint operation in February 2024 dismantled much of Gjika’s alleged trafficking infrastructure, as many high-ranking members of his organization were arrested. They are currently facing trial over drug trafficking and money laundering charges in Ecuador.
Nonetheless, Gjika’s economic activity in Ecuador has continued despite his absence. In October 2023, he founded the company Riomel Gold Corporation, dedicated to trading in precious metals. Riomel Gold is still active as of today, according to Ecuador’s business registry. InSight Crime could reach neither Gjika nor Riomel Gold for comment.
Since the takedown of Gjika’s alleged allies, authorities in Ecuador have not arrested any other major Albanian drug traffickers. But demand for cocaine in Europe remains high, and other transatlantic networks are filling the gap in demand.
Source link : https://insightcrime.org/news/the-rise-of-albanian-dritan-gjika-and-his-cocaine-network-to-europe/
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Publish date : 2024-07-04 07:00:00
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