Albanian gangsters have been running the cocaine market in most parts of the UK for the past two decades, but have reportedly been warned to stay away from Liverpool.
Violent gangs from the Balkan nation have taken over the drug trade in Britain since they began moving into the country after the fall of communism in Albania in 1990.
A London-based gangs expert, who asked not to be named, said criminals from Albania now dominate the cocaine market across the UK – but have been warned to stay away from Liverpool.
The expert told The Sun that local gangs “protect Liverpool”, saying: “Albanian drug gangs are everywhere in the UK but not in Liverpool.
However, a former Liverpool criminal said Albanian gangs may also try to take over the northern city, where there is “a massive cocaine market” after police infiltrated the EncroChat encrypted phone network and weakened local Merseyside gangs.
He said: “The Encrochat hack has hit a lot of Liverpool drugs gangs hard so the Albanians might be thinking now is the time to make their move into Liverpool, where there is a massive cocaine market. And we have the port too which will interest them.”
The expert added that Albanian gangs made contact with suppliers from Latin America, getting direct access to wholesalers to get drugs “cheap and fast”.
The Hellbanianz share pics of their guns on social media (Image: Essex Live / BPM Media)
Albanian crooks are using Channel crossings to staff cannabis farms, the NCA said (
Image: Essex Live / BPM Media)
Lucas De Jong 
Fanny Mulder