General Agim Ceku is considered a sovereign part of the mafia. Current commander of the TMK, executive of the UCK headquarters, now is the owner of the hotel business company “Sloga” in Pristina. He owns Pristina hotels “Grand” and “Bozur” and more then 60 clubs around Kosovo, that are considered nests of an illegal business, starting from the smuggling of drugs and weapons, finishing with prostitution. Hashim Thaci’s name is mentioned in connection with all this.

ROADS OF DRUG

International communities representatives are fully aware of the international character of the Albanian mafia which profit is more then 10 billion dollars. Most of the money is coming from the narcotics market. Drugs are coming to Kosovo mainly trough so-called “Balkan entrance” – from the Middle East countries, Turkey and Iran. From there its transportation is continuing toward western Europe, through Austria, Germany, Italy … to its final costumers.

One of the channels where the drugs are transferred to Kosovo is through Tuzija, Montenegro, where it is brought from Albania cities Tropoj, Drach and Valon. Raw material from Albania are manufactured in laboratories in Prizren and Gnjilane, then it is going to be sent to Luzane, Muhovac and Veliki Trnovac in south-east Serbia, precisely in Tuza and Ulcinj in Montenegro. In the above-mentioned laboratories and in around 20 more around Kosovo drugs are manufactured which are grown in local fields. This year UNMIK police, KPS and KFOR found and destroyed 12 fields planted with cannabis. A two way drug trafficking channel is well known from Gostivar, Kumanovo and Skopje in Macedonia, which leads through General Jankovic and Jazince to Kosovo, and border passing Cafa Prusit and Morina from Albania and opposite way. This road that includes Junik and Djakovica is very important for the weapons black market.

Kosovo is very important stop on the drug routes. Drugs bring enormous profit to the mafia . According to Interpol data, in 1999 just on drug smuggling Albanian mafia earned 38 billion dollars. Two years later, 2001st, the profit was 50 billion dollars, and in 2002 profit was even 70 billion dollars. Just for an example, one-kilogram heroin in Turkey costs 7.500 euro.

On its way to Europe its price is growing. It worth from 10.000 to 20.000 euro, and when it gets closer to the American market its price is even higher – among 25.000 and 35.000 euro per kilogram. Clear profit of the Albanian narco mafia is 50%. Kosovo Albanians take out half billion euro per year just from Germany, while their illegal money are transferred in secret bank systems in darkness where the money for buying weapons are circulating.

ZONE OF INTEREST

Chappell’s words from the beginning of this article are confirmed by Glas Javnosti sources from Kosovo and they also say that this region is divided in three zones of interest of the organized crime: Drenica, Dukadjin and Lab.

Region of Drenica and Shalja under the control of fisa Tachi (Thaci clan), who is involved in weapons market, cigarette market, oil smuggling and human trafficking, lately is also involved in the business with stolen cars. Their operation zones are the roads along Kosovo connecting Montenegro and Macedonia, but also around Prizren, because it is near to the Albanian border. Clan Tachi is connected with the mafia from Czech republic, with the Bulgarian mafia and with the mafia from Albania.

Fis Haradinaj controls the region of Pec, Djakovica and Decane. Under his indirect control is also the border with Albania, as the road Pec-Kula-Rozaje. This fis indirectly, through KPS and TMK realizes the control over the border.

One group loyal to Rustem Mustafi, disreputable commandant Remi, operates in the area of municipalities of Gnjilane, Vitina, Podujevo and Kacanik, and their job mainly is smuggling of drugs. They are in close connection with the Haradinaj clan.

With Tachi, Haradinaj and Remi’s clans members, taking in consideration that the last one is in the jail, are cooperating large number of local influential people among whom the business is strictly divided. Fis Babaljija from Djakovica is in charged for the smuggling of gas in Albania. In charged for this business in the area of Pec, Kosovska Mitrovica, Srbica and Pristina is fis Geci. According to unofficial estimations during one week in Kosovo from Montenegro is smuggled 100 tons of gas.

Main activity of the members of clan Agusi is their countrymen’s blackmail for the money especially of those who bought previously usurped Serbian real estates and blackmailing of the potential buyers. Control of the smuggling of drug and oil, also as people trafficking in Pec area is under the control of the clan Keljmendi, while the families Luka and Selimi are doing the same job in the area of Djakovica and Decane. Smuggling of weapon and drug from and into Macedonia is under the control of the clan Suma from Kacanik, which is connected with Remi’s people.