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50 tons of cocaine seized, journalist: Albanian bosses financed the electoral campaign in Ecuador

Politiko 2026-06-16 16:00:30

50 tons of cocaine seized, journalist: Albanian bosses financed the electoral

Journalist Artan Hoxha, in an interview with Euronews Albania, revealed details about recent international anti-drug operations and the influence of Albanian criminal groups in Ecuador.

50 tons of cocaine were seized from this operation and arrest warrants were issued for 10 people. Among the names listed are Nikoll Bibaj, Isa Aliu, Sokol Bibaj, Florian Musai, Armando Pacani, Denis Matoshi, Naldi Yzeiraj, Oklid Aliu, Shpëtim Aliu and Dritan Gjika.

According to Hoxha, Dritan Gjika is the most sensational name on the list. He has been in Ecuador since 2011 and has established strong direct ties to the inner circle of former right-wing president Guillermo Lasso, specifically his brother-in-law, by investing in a series of joint ventures.

He added that Albanian groups allegedly sponsored Guillermo Lasso's electoral campaign with around $5 million due to their commercial ties to banking structures where Lasso's family had shares.

"He is the man directly involved in the electoral campaign of the presidential elections in Ecuador. So, he is the man who financed the campaign of the right-wing president, Guillermo Lasso, and had direct connections to Guillermo Lasso's family."

Directly with his brother-in-law. There are investments, joint companies. There is a series, not one company, a series of collaborations. Dritan Gjika went there early, so since, make no mistake, 2011 he went to Ecuador and established very strong ties. He then returned having direct ties with the president and the right-wing president's inner circle.

According to the Ecuadorian media and opposition, Albanian groups paid around $5 million in the electoral campaign. They sponsored the campaign, $5 million, because the result was very close.

And President Lasso, who has been CEO of the bank for 23 years, his family is a shareholder in the bank, and that's the connection he has with the Albanians. That's why he had the connections. The Albanians there were wholesalers, they were big traders, they brought the money to get the product and that's why they knew him and had connections with him.

And after 20 years of the left being in power, Lasso came, but he didn't actually finish his term. Because one of the candidates, who was against him, was said at the time to have been murdered, so in the past he had also been a journalist. He was murdered at the time and it was said that the Albanian mafia had killed him. Which in fact didn't turn out to be the case, but this exposed the Albanians.

And the most exposed Albanian in Ecuador, despite the fact that we have talked about Gramoz Rexhepi, Gramoz Rexhepi has been in prison most of the time. So, he has been arrested since 2014. Gramoz Rexhepi. Meanwhile, Dritan Gjika has not been an arrested person. He has been a person who has continued, has opened dozens of legal companies," he said, among other things.