Today on the High As blog we are talking about the biggest overland weed route there is in Europe.
Haravgi Ioannina: the Greek village the biggest cannabis trafficking route in Europe runs through
This small Greek village has turned into the biggest weed trafficking route into Europe. Sitting on the border between Greece and Albania, this tiny village of 170 inhabitants (2011 census) is a hotspot for weed coming into the whole of the old continent.
The geography of this region is seriously rugged. The terrain is hard and steep even for the Greek authorities, who are trying to stop the traffickers without much luck. The hundreds of Albanians who walk across these mountains every day know them like the back of their hand: they are so well prepared and know the ins and outs of the forest so well that they could spend days hidden without anyone finding them.
These smugglers, or mules, carry backpacks holding up to 50 kg of cannabis, which they stash away in the forest in caches or hiding spots on Greek soil.
On top of the whole load, each mule usually carries a Kalashnikov as well. That, combined with how well they know the ground, means the Greek police are taking a proper beating from the traffickers.
Albania is the main outdoor weed producer in Europe, and Greece is paying part of the price. Anti drug operations on both sides of the border have failed to put an end to the smuggling. Back in 2014, Albanian special forces launched a major operation in the village of Lazarat, around 30 km from the Greek border. After a week of clashes, in which rocket propelled grenades and mortar shells were fired at the police, the trafficking network based in the village fell.
In that operation 10 tonnes of weed, thousands of cannabis plants, firearms and close to 20 million euros in cash were seized. According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Albania's cannabis economy was already widespread across the whole country by 2016.
The Balkans were already part of one of the most established drug trafficking routes in the world. Now cannabis is putting food on the table not just for local growers, but also for the trafficking gangs selling it all over the European Union.
The weed business is completely normal for a whole generation of young Albanians who see the illegal trade as a way to make a living. On the other side of the coin are the civil servants, police officers and corrupt politicians who are also trying to get their cut of the route.
Keep reading: Legalisation Failing in Canada? The Country Has a Surplus of 1.1 Billion Grams of Unsold Weed and What's the Difference Between Being High, Stoned or Baked?
