FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
According to international media reports, cocaine trafficking to Europe is being dominated by a network known as the "Balkan mafia", which includes individuals linked to criminal groups from Albania, Serbia, Croatia and other countries in the region.
In August 2025, Belgian authorities arrested Franc Çopjan, identified as the leader of an Albanian gang. According to investigations published later, his organization is suspected of having trafficked around 28 tons of cocaine in 2020 alone. The network, according to investigative sources, used corridors that started in Paraguay and ended in the European ports of Antwerp in Belgium and Hamburg in Germany.
Suspected links and international investigations
Data published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) mentions the name of Alexandre Rodrigues Gomes, son of the late Congressman Eulalio Lalo Gomes. He is suspected of having links to a European criminal organization involved in the shipment of cocaine to the continent. This information has increased suspicions about the presence of a network in the region with the aim of coordinating large-scale trafficking.
Late last year, the Paraguayan Migration Directorate reported that some members of this group attempted to enter the country using Argentine passports with false data, with the intention of continuing their journey to Bolivia.
Network structure and operation
According to authorities, the Balkan mafia is characterized by a centralized and hierarchical structure, with strong internal cohesion. It is suspected of being involved not only in drug trafficking, but also in arms trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering.
In recent years, large seizures of cocaine have been recorded in Europe, with some shipments originating from Paraguayan ports. Investigations show that the operational base in Paraguay served to receive cocaine from producers in Bolivia, store it and prepare it for international transport. The drugs were hidden in containers using sophisticated methods, disguised in products such as soap boxes, paint cans or construction glue.
"Operation Balkans" in Brazil
In late November, Brazil's Federal Police launched "Operation Balkans," a coordinated operation in Brazil, Paraguay, and other countries aimed at dismantling what authorities described as a European "mafia oasis" centered in Paraguay.
During the operation, 14 search and seizure warrants were executed, and three preventive arrests were made. Authorities seized 27 vehicles and 43 properties in Brazil and Paraguay. According to police, the group controlled the entire logistics chain, from securing cocaine in producing countries such as Bolivia and Peru, to its transportation through European ports. It is suspected that the network shipped at least 12 tons of drugs to Europe.
Arrest and extradition of a suspect to Paraguay
In August 2025, authorities in Paraguay detained a citizen who identified himself as Lisandro Emanuel Larre, an Argentine national. During the checks, discrepancies in the documentation were found, which led to further checks through the Athens Network.
After international confirmation, it was identified as Luka Starcevik, of Serbian origin, for whom there was an arrest warrant for extradition to Brazil for a murder case. He was handed over to the Brazilian Federal Police at the Friendship Bridge, in Ciudad del Este.
According to investigative data, Starcevik began his criminal activity as a teenager in Belgrade and, after the separation of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, became involved in the structures of the Balkan mafia. Brazilian authorities suspect that during his stay in Brazil he formed alliances with the criminal organization "First Capital Command" (PCC), using false identities to avoid criminal prosecution.
International investigations into the network continue, while authorities in several countries are collaborating to fully document the organization's scope and structure./ Adapted from "Pamfleti" by "Ultimahora".
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