Albania's burgeoning tourism industry, attracting over a million UK visitors annually, is reportedly being bankrolled by billions of pounds laundered from drug sales in Britain, according to prosecutors. Luxury hotels, including the Ajman Park resort near Tirana, are among the properties allegedly financed by cocaine and cannabis trafficking networks operating in the UK.
The Ajman Park, a five-star resort with amenities like a helipad and lake views, has become a popular destination for British tourists. However, prosecutors claim that millions of pounds generated by an Albanian cocaine mafia in the UK were invested in its development. The resort's owner, Julian Balla, is reportedly on the run, wanted for alleged connections to cocaine trafficking, drug smuggling, and money laundering.
This alleged pattern extends beyond Ajman Park, with prosecutors stating that many newly built resorts along Albania's coasts have been funded by illicit proceeds from drug trafficking and people smuggling. The gleaming high-rise skyline of Tirana is also said to be constructed with gains from illegal activities originating in Britain. Over the past four years, more than 450 Albanian-run cannabis factories have been discovered in the UK, contributing to an estimated annual trade worth £2.6 billion.
Albanian officials have reported seizing approximately 2,500 properties from suspected criminals in recent years, including high-end tourist resorts. However, one economist estimates that up to £1.3 billion of criminal cash is injected into the Albanian economy annually, with the construction sector serving as a primary vehicle for money laundering. Critics describe this as 'state-sponsored money laundering,' suggesting that the Albanian government may be turning a blind eye to the phenomenon due to the significant investment generated by these activities.
The investigation has identified the Copja brothers, Franc and Hajdar, as alleged masterminds of a global smuggling operation. Operating from a house in north London, they are accused, along with Ervis Cela, of using a network of henchmen to smuggle vast quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe, with the UK being the most lucrative market. In 2024, the Copja brothers were charged by Albania's Special Court Against Corruption and Organised Crime with multiple murders and drug trafficking offenses. Franc Copja was reportedly jailed for life in Belgium for a separate murder, while Hajdar Copja is believed to be in Dubai.
Prosecutors allege the drug barons invested heavily in Albanian construction projects, including luxury villas and resorts. Intercepted messages allegedly show Franc Copja discussing investments in new apartment blocks. The methods used to transfer funds from the UK to Albania are varied, including cash couriers, informal Hawala money transfer systems, and increasingly, cryptocurrency. The Copja brothers are said to have used a combination of these methods, with cryptocurrency and cash seized by authorities.
Despite the scale of the problem, there are efforts to combat it. The Albanian agency for Seized and Confiscated Assets has cataloged seized properties worth £24 million, including hotels and apartments, some of which have been repurposed for public use or military holidays. Successes have also been noted in individual cases, such as Emiljan Shega, who was jailed in London for drug trafficking, with Albanian authorities later seizing assets worth around £2.5 million he owned in his home country.
In a significant development, the UK and Albanian governments recently announced a 'historic' agreement to share the proceeds of criminal cash seized from gangs operating between the two countries. Officials from both nations have hailed this as a crucial step in pursuing organized crime proceeds across borders. However, some analysts remain skeptical, suggesting that while such measures may cause criminals to hesitate, they will not fully resolve the problem without a comprehensive government commitment to fighting crime and money laundering.