Albania continues to remain one of the main suppliers of raw marijuana to Greece, although during 2023 the figures have been decreasing, according to a report of the Greek anti-drug police.
According to the report, 18.11% of raw marijuana was identified as originating from Albania, introduced into Greece, mainly through the land border.
The Greek anti-drug police estimates that about 72.01% of the marijuana imported into Greece in 2023 has an unknown origin.
“There is a significant number of cases where the origin of the marijuana was not clearly determined and it is suspected that it was mainly in Albania, as the seizures took place in areas close to the Greek-Albanian border,” the Greek anti-drug report states.
While the numbers seem to have decreased compared to 2022 where about 40% of the marijuana seized in Greece came from Albania, according to the Greek anti-drug agency, Albanian marijuana networks remain active, especially in the distribution market.
According to the report, about 25% of the members of the organized crime groups of Mariajuna traffic were Albanian citizens and about 63% were Greek.
According to the report, even in the amount of narcotic plants cultivated in Greece, Albanian citizens made up about 24% of the people involved in the cultivation of marijuana, while 67% were Greek citizens, while during the year 2203 the Greek police destroyed over 28 thousand narcotic plants.
The report says that narcotics transporters operate through unguarded crossings on the northern Greek border neighboring Albania but also on that of North Macedonia, carrying bags of raw marijuana on foot, through forests, through difficult and deserted areas of the border.
“First they hide them and then other groups organize the transportation of marijuana from the border deep into the country,” the report says.
The estimated value if the amounts of marijuana ended up on the criminal market according to the Greek anti-drugs for 2023 was over 145 million euros.
The Greek anti-drug report states that the number of persons accused of activities in the drug field in 2023 in Greece was 15,941 persons, where the accused in 73.22% were Greek citizens and 23.98% were foreigners, and more, respectively, citizens of Albania 7 .96%, Pakistan 2.35%, Afghanistan 1.91%,
