Who brings the coke to Europe?
'Ndrangheta from Calabria controls wholesale. Albanian clans handle transport. The Mocro Mafia controls the ports. 80% of European cocaine flows through Rotterdam and Antwerp - 5 hours by train from Berlin.
Sources: Europol, UNODC, BKA, EUDA
The Networks
Three organizations share the European cocaine market. Each has its role.
'Ndrangheta
Italy (Calabria) · Wholesale
The Calabrian mafia is the invisible wholesaler. They buy directly from Colombian cartels - by the ton. In no other country outside Italy is the 'Ndrangheta as strong as in Germany.
- Presence in over 84 countries worldwide
- Controls an estimated 80% of European cocaine imports
- 2007: Six dead outside a restaurant in Duisburg - 'Ndrangheta feud
- 2024: 132 members arrested in Europol operation
Albanian Clans
Albania / Kosovo · Transport & Distribution
The logistics experts. They solved the hardest problem: How does the coke get from the port to the dealer? 40 Albanian groups operate in Germany. The Besa (blood oath) makes cooperation with police nearly impossible.
- 32 Albanian groups control European cocaine trade at all levels
- Average dealer speaks 4-5 languages
- Presence in Hamburg, Berlin, NRW
- November 2024: 13 tons seized in Spain - Albanian connections
Mocro Mafia
Netherlands / Morocco · Port Control
They control Rotterdam and Antwerp - the main gateways. And they're expanding into Germany. 2024-2025: at least six bomb attacks in NRW.
- 2019: Lawyer Derk Wiersum shot - represented key witness
- 2021: Journalist Peter de Vries murdered in Amsterdam
- 2024: Ridouan Taghi sentenced to life in prison
- Expansion into Cologne, Duisburg, Frankfurt
The Gateways
70% of European cocaine comes through two ports. The third is in Germany.
Rotterdam
Europe's largest port. Too big for complete control - only 1-2% of containers are scanned.
Antwerp
Main gateway for cocaine from Latin America. 2023 and 2024: over 100 tons seized each year.
Hamburg
The German port. 2024: leading prosecutor arrested for corruption. Two port workers helped with smuggling.
And Berlin?
The last mile. From the container in Rotterdam to the nose in the club.
Berlin is Germany's cocaine capital. Wastewater analysis shows: 58% more consumption in the last five years. The spikes correlate with club nights.
48 Hours
Rotterdam is 5 hours by train. The violence happens in Mexico and Colombia. Europe gets the finished product. Neatly packaged.
Corruption at Your Doorstep
Europol estimates: 60% of criminal groups rely on corruption in ports.
Senior prosecutor arrested - 14 charges of bribery and leaking information
Two port workers convicted - helped transport 480 kg of cocaine
Police officer arrested - passed information to Mocro Mafia
Drug investigator arrested - collaborated with smugglers
Sources for this page
- Europol: Decoding EU's Most Threatening Criminal Networks (2024)('Ndrangheta, Albanian networks, Mocro Mafia)
- EUDA: European Drug Report 2025(419 tons EU seizures 2023)
- EUDA: Seaports Report 2025(Rotterdam/Antwerp seizures)
- Global Initiative: Germany's Hidden Organized Corruption Threat(Hamburg corruption cases 2024)
- Balkan Insight: How Albanians Conquered the European Cocaine Market(Albanian networks in Europe)
This is just the European leg
Before that: 350,000 dead in Mexico. 300,000 hectares of rainforest. 100,000 families with no choice. The complete supply chain.
See the Supply Chain