According to Irish newspaper Herald, special forces of the Garda’s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau have captured almost €1 million worth of cannabis in a series of top-secret actions in recent days.
The drugs belonged to the Albanian mafia, which laundered money from sales through fish and chips shops and car washes. According to one of the sources cited in the article:
They are actually pretending to be Italian nationals. They are washing their money through chippers and car washes. The weed they are selling is actually being grown in their own country and being brought in here vacuum-packed and ready to go.
Albanian organized crime groups are offering marijuana, grown in Albania, at much lower prices than other sellers: “the gangsters are selling a kilo of cannabis resin to drug dealers for €5,000 – around €3,000 cheaper.”
The Herald also notes that
The Albanian mafia is one of the most feared crime organisations in Europe. Many of its foot soldiers are highly professional, with some ex-military recruits from Albanian, Kosovan or Russian armies. A number have former police contacts in Albania and have learned about garda investigation techniques.
