Balkan criminals involved in large-scale smuggling through Hamburg.

Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany, serves as a key entry point for cocaine trafficked from Latin America to Europe due to its strategic geographic location and high volume of container traffic. Some of the cocaine traffic through the port is driven by Balkan criminal networks. Although German and international authorities are seeking to address the problem, enhanced efforts are required, including investment in reducing the complicity of port personnel and greater coordination with Balkan law enforcement and port authorities.

The German government reports that cocaine seizures at the Port of Hamburg — often concealed in containers — more than tripled from 9.5 tonnes in 2019 to 33.9 tonnes in 2023.

Photo: Andreas Rentz via Getty Images

In 2023, the Port of Hamburg on the River Elbe, known as Germany’s gateway to the world, handled 7.7 million containers, making it the third-largest European port by turnover.¹ That year saw German law enforcement seize a record 43 tonnes of cocaine nationwide,² including nearly 34 tonnes — almost 80% — intercepted at Hamburg’s port alone.³ The number of ongoing serious and international drug investigations in the city increased to 111 in 2023, marking a nearly 30% rise compared to 2022 and setting a record.⁴

While Hamburg’s significance in international cocaine trafficking is well-documented,⁵ the role of Balkan criminal networks remains relatively unexplored. These networks, comprising Albanian-speaking groups led mainly by Albanians from Albania and Kosovo and Slavic-speaking groups run primarily by Serbs and Montenegrins, are highly adept at coordinating consis­tent cocaine shipments from South America to Europe, relying both on Hamburg’s port and the city itself.

For example, in December 2024, Montenegro’s police arrested three Montenegrins accused of trafficking 509 kilograms of cocaine aboard the state-owned Montenegrin cargo ship Budva, reviving a high-profile case that dates back nearly five years.⁶ Cocaine was reportedly loaded in the Brazilian port of Santos, hidden among bulk sugar destined for Casablanca, Morocco. Although the sugar was offloaded in Casablanca, the cocaine remained concealed on the ship, which was seized by German police upon its arrival in Hamburg in May 2020.⁷ The suspects chose to remain silent in their defence before the Montenegrin prosecution.⁸

One of those arrested in Montenegro in December 2024, Mladen Radulović, had previously been detained in Hamburg between May and November 2020 in connection with the same case. However, he had originally been released from German custody due to wrongful detention, according to his legal team.⁹

In November 2024, Albanian authorities extradited Princ Doboshi — an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo accused of executing large-scale cocaine smuggling operations through Hamburg’s port — to Germany after arresting him in Tirana.¹⁰ Hamburg prosecutors have charged him with complicity in 11 smuggling incidents involving a total of approximately 10 tonnes of cocaine, according to Die Zeit.¹¹ Doboshi has also been targeted by Albania’s Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), which seized some of his assets in March 2024 on the basis that they had been funded by cocaine trafficking.¹² His criminal background dates to the 1990s.¹³

German police display 2 tonnes of cocaine seized at the Port of Hamburg in September 2024.

Photo: Picture Alliance via Getty Images

In September 2024, Hamburg police seized more than 2 tonnes of cocaine hidden in banana boxes within a shipping container near the port.¹⁴ The operation led to the arrest of 12 suspects, aged 21 to 43, from Germany, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Albania and India. Some of those arrested were already known to law enforcement for drug-related crimes.¹⁵ This seizure revealed a possible co-financing operation, designed to allow multiple groups to share the proceeds upon the cocaine’s arrival at European ports, according to a researcher who specializes in tracking Albanian criminal organizations.¹⁶ Albanian groups are actively involved in such arrangements, showcasing the collaborative and transnational nature of drug trafficking operations.¹⁷

Law enforcement statistics confirm the strong presence of Balkan criminal groups in Germany. In 2022 and 2023, Albanian and Serbian citizens were among the top five nationalities suspected of involvement in organized crime in Germany, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office.¹⁸ The number of Serbian suspects almost tripled in 2023 compared to 2022, rising from 165 to 450, while the number of Albanian suspects increased from 254 to 285.¹⁹

Law enforcement, media reports and civil society sources in Hamburg indicate that Albanian-speaking groups are perceived as more visible in Hamburg’s city and port than Slavic-speaking groups. This heightened visibility is likely to be linked to their longer-established presence in the city. However, this does not necessarily indicate that Balkan criminal networks have a stronger presence in Hamburg than other national or international criminal actors. Their higher visibility could stem from their active involvement at the operational level, which makes them more exposed to law enforcement efforts, according to a researcher who closely tracks European organized crime.²⁰

Albanian-speaking groups

According to an experienced local investigative journalist, Albanian criminal networks have been present in Hamburg since the 1980s,²¹ particularly in drug trafficking and sexual exploitation. In 2023, German authorities initiated 38 criminal investigations targeting predominantly Albanian criminal groups, including 23 cases centred on cocaine trafficking and 15 involving illegal cannabis operations.²²

The ethnic Albanian criminal presence in Hamburg is thought to have begun with the Osmani clan from Kosovo, who established a foothold in the city in the 1980s.²³ By the 1990s, additional Albanian criminal groups emerged, focusing primarily on sexual exploitation, particularly in Hamburg’s red-light district. By the 2000s, the Osmani clan’s wealth was estimated at €100 million, including significant investments in real estate, particularly in Hamburg’s red-light district, according to a local journalist.²⁴

However, alleged clan member Bashkim Osmani claims that his wealth was built purely through legitimate investments in Hamburg and later in Spain. In an interview with the Croatian newspaper Nacional, published in August 2007, Bashkim stated that his family built up significant wealth in Germany partly through real-estate investments and political connections.²⁵ A local investigative journalist alleged that the family’s political connections in Hamburg enabled them to operate for many years below the radar of law enforcement,²⁶ which has struggled for decades to build a successful case against the Osmani clan.

However, in February 2022, Bashkim Osmani was arrested in Croatia as part of a Europol-coordinated operation involving raids across six European countries in which 45 suspects were netted on suspicion of belonging to a cocaine network linked to South America.²⁷ Important intelligence on the group’s suspected operations in Hamburg and beyond was allegedly provided by the decoding of Encrochat, an encrypted messaging platform used by criminals.²⁸

The predominantly Albanian-speaking suspects are accused of smuggling tonnes of cocaine into Europe through major ports. Bashkim Osmani was transferred to Mallorca and placed in pre-trial detention, accused of membership of a criminal organization and money laundering.²⁹ However, Majorca Daily Bulletin reported in June 2022 that he had been released after paying €400 000 bail; his lawyer maintained in court that there was ‘no evidence’ against him.³⁰

A drug expert from Hamburg explained that Albanian criminals are key players in the wholesale cocaine trade alongside Turkish and Kurdish groups. ‘Albanians are responsible for extracting cocaine from the port,’ this expert noted.³¹ In October 2023, German police arrested three Albanian citizens in Hamburg on suspicion of involvement in large-scale cocaine trafficking.³² According to Hamburg customs and local prosecutors, the suspects worked at the port and had access to containers. During the operation, police confiscated nearly 240 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a container originating from South America.³³

Slavic-speaking groups

Unlike their Albanian counterparts, Slavic-speaking criminal groups lack a long-established presence in the city and port. Their activities in Hamburg were first observed in the 2010s, marking a newer development in the influence of Balkan criminal networks.

One of the earliest cases uncovered by law enforcement linking Slavic groups, cocaine trafficking and the Port of Hamburg dates from 2019 and involves Petar Ćosić, also known as Šarac, a Croatian national. Ćosić, a former special forces officer, has been a central figure in the Balkan drug trade and a trusted associate of Darko Šarić.³⁴ ‘Their connection reportedly dates to their military service together in 1989, highlighting a partnership built on decades of trust,’ explained an experienced crime reporter from Croatia.³⁵

Šarić, from Montenegro and the holder of a Serbian passport, ran an extensive network smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe. In November 2020, a Serbian appeals court confirmed a prison term of 15 years handed to Šarić two years earlier for his role in trafficking 5.7 tonnes of cocaine in 2008 and 2009.³⁶ Ćosić managed logistics and oversaw drug distribution for Šarić, particularly in Croatia. In 2011, Ćosić was apprehended during Operation Dogma for smuggling at least 368 kilograms of cocaine,³⁷ and subsequently sentenced to four years in prison.³⁸ Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia were central to their operations, serving as critical hubs for moving cocaine into Europe and money laundering. Their collaboration underscores the strategic exploitation of regional vulnerabilities by Balkan criminal networks.

The link between Ćosić and the Port of Hamburg can be traced back to December 2019. Croatian prosecutors alleged in April 2023 that Čosić had overseen a shipment of 1 tonne of cocaine, moving the drugs from Colombia through Ecuador to Europe.³⁹ At the Port of Guayaquil in Ecuador, 500 kilograms of the cocaine were concealed in a shipping container aboard the MSC Zlata R and transported to Europe via Antwerp and Hamburg.

Efforts to extract this cocaine in Antwerp were unsuccessful, prompting traffickers to transfer the container to the Joanna for onward movement to Hamburg. Upon the cocaine’s arrival in Hamburg, criminals accessed the container after it left the port and successfully extracted the cocaine. Of the 500 kilograms, 350 were sold for around €28 000 per kilogram. The remaining 150 kilograms were reportedly kept as payment in kind by the operatives who extracted the consignment at Hamburg port.⁴⁰

Another alleged key player on the Slavic side of the Balkan criminal networks is the Tito and Dino cartel, led by Edin Gačanin, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina who holds a Dutch passport.⁴¹ Dutch prosecutors suspect this cartel of facilitating the smuggling in 2020 of approximately 1.8 tonnes of cocaine through Hamburg port, with the Netherlands as the ultimate destination.⁴² The US government has identified Gačanin as one of the world’s top drug traffickers.⁴³ His group maintained strong alliances with other major criminal organizations, including the Kinahan group from Ireland and the Dutch-Moroccan ‘Mocro’ mafia,⁴⁴ solidifying its influence across Europe and beyond.

Hamburg has also been highlighted in a case linked to Montenegro as a costly entry point for cocaine shipments from South America to Europe. Intercepted encrypted communications on the Sky ECC platform allegedly revealed that Radoje Zvicer, the suspected leader of the Kavač clan — one of Montenegro’s most powerful criminal organizations — discussed his connec­tions in Hamburg as an option for extracting cocaine from the port. However, Zvicer reportedly expressed concerns over the high cost, stating that the associates in Hamburg demanded 25% of the cocaine shipment’s total value, which he purportedly deemed excessive.⁴⁵

The Port of Hamburg is undeniably a critical hub for cocaine trafficking into Europe, attracting a range of criminal networks due to its strategic location and high profit margins. While Balkan criminal groups are deeply involved in the port and city, they are not known for violent methods in Hamburg,⁴⁶ according to law enforcement in the city. Instead, they discreetly focus on sophisticated logistics and strategic partnerships to facilitate drug smuggling and distribution. ‘Currently, active criminal organizations in Hamburg are more multinational,’ a law enforcement operative on the river Elbe explained.⁴⁷

Acknowledging problems

Authorities in Hamburg in January 2024 joined the European Ports Alliance, an initiative to enhance security across EU ports.⁴⁸ The alliance focuses on improving customs efficiency in the scanning of containers and inspection of imports, alongside targeted law enforcement operations in ports. It also fosters cooperation, by promoting public–private partnerships to support port authorities and shipping companies, alongside protecting logistics, information, personnel and operational processes.⁴⁹

In May 2024, Hamburg authorities launched the Port Security Centre to enhance oversight and combat organized crime within the port.⁵⁰ Developed with the collaboration of police, customs and prosecutors, it facilitates the exchange of information and identifies suspicious activity patterns at an early stage. A whistle­blower portal has been introduced to support these efforts, enabling port employees to report suspicious activities anonymously. Additionally, authorities con­ducted a public awareness campaign to educate port workers about the dangers of criminal recruitment.⁵¹

Also in May 2024, Hamburg hosted a ministerial meeting of the Coalition of European countries against serious and organized crime, bringing together ministers from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France, as well as representatives from Latin America. Sweden joined the coalition as a new member.

A key outcome of the meeting was the adoption of the Hamburg Declaration, a three-pronged strategy that seeks to disrupt upstream cocaine supplies at or near source in South America; enhance collaboration among customs, law enforcement and private sector operators active in and responsible for European ports; and improve cross-border cooperation by law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks’ financial operations.⁵²

German authorities noted a decrease in cocaine seizures at the Port of Hamburg in the first half of 2024.⁵³ While this could indicate reduced cocaine inflows into Hamburg, it may also reflect drug trafficking organizations adopting more sophisticated concealment methods in response to heightened security measures. Despite these changes, the availability and price of cocaine, including in Hamburg, have remained stable,⁵⁴ suggesting the continued resilience of trafficking networks.

Persisting policy gaps

More targeted measures are essential to combat Balkan criminal groups’ infiltration effectively, particularly in addressing corruption risks and bolstering European ports’ security. The vulnerabilities of port workers to criminal recruitment remain insufficiently addressed, since current efforts are limited to general guidelines rather than actionable strategies. These measures could include establishing a partnership with the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network,⁵⁵ an award-winning, industry-led initiative that represents more than 50% of global shipping tonnage and collaborates with governments and civil society.

While the need to trace and confiscate virtual assets purchased with criminal profits has been acknowledged in the Hamburg Declaration, there are insufficient tactical responses to counter the mobility and adaptability of criminal networks, including those from the Balkans, which often exploit weak enforcement points.

Greater attention is also needed on the role of intermediaries, such as Balkan groups that manage logistics in Europe and their connection to source countries. Collaboration between West European and Balkan law enforcement and port authorities to intercept drugs before they reach European ports is underdeveloped and requires significant improvement. For example, none of the ports in the Balkans are part of the European Ports Alliance, leaving a gap in the coordination of efforts. This is important since the maritime Balkan route brings cocaine from Latin America and heroin via Türkiye and the Middle East into the Balkans through major commercial ports in the Adriatic, Aegean, Black and Ionian seas.⁵⁶

Notes