West Africa’s ports and coastlines, once known primarily for cocoa, timber, and fishing exports, are now the staging ground of one of the world’s fastest-growing narcotics routes. The “Cocaine Corridor”, stretching from Brazil to Abidjan, Lagos, Praia, and Bissau, has become the new frontier for organized crime.
What is striking is not just the volume of drugs moving through the region, but who is behind it: criminal clans from the Balkans, Albanian networks, Brazilian suppliers, and European fugitives living openly under political protection.
Balkan Clans on the AtlanticAt the heart of the corridor are rival Montenegrin factions: the Kavač clan led by the elusive Radoje Zvicer, and the now-fractured Škaljari clan, once headed by Jovan Vukotić and Igor Dedović before their violent deaths in Istanbul and Athens.
Zvicer’s Kavač clan has mastered the art of container infiltration, paying off customs officials and securing long-term storage in West African ports. His operations stretch across Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau, embedding Balkan influence deep into local economies.
The Škaljari, though weakened, survive in smaller cells that still broker shipments via at-sea transfers. Their allies, including the Budva clan, illustrate how fragmented groups continue to thrive despite bloody assassinations.
The Albanian LogisticiansWhile the Montenegrins grab headlines, Albanian-speaking networks are the silent enablers. Active in Abidjan, Lagos, and Praia, they specialize in port logistics, bribery, and rapid container rerouting. Investigators describe them as “the invisible managers” of cocaine traffic—rarely in the news, but indispensable to the system.
Brazil’s PCC: The Supplier NationThe Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), Brazil’s most powerful gang, remains the indispensable source. From the ports of Santos and Fortaleza, PCC ships tonnes of cocaine across the Atlantic. Unlike local dealers, PCC works wholesale: Balkan clans buy in bulk, then redistribute in Europe.
Seizures demonstrate the scale. In August 2025, the French Navy intercepted six tonnes of cocaine off West Africa, underscoring how strategic the corridor has become for global supply chains.
The Dutch Connection: A Fugitive in Sierra LeonePerhaps the most brazen chapter is that of Johannes “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers, a Dutch kingpin sentenced in absentia to 24 years in the Netherlands. Today, he reportedly lives openly in Sierra Leone, attending church services and social events with political elites.
For law enforcement, his presence in West Africa highlights a darker truth: the corridor is not only a logistics hub, but also a safe haven for fugitives, shielded by local connections.
Local Brokers and Political ProtectionNo foreign syndicate could thrive without local brokers. Businessmen, military figures, and politicians across West Africa facilitate port access, provide safe houses, and ensure investigations are quietly stalled. These actors, often unnamed, are the hidden brokers of cocaine’s new empire.
Human Cost: From Agadez to FreetownBeyond the crime bosses and seizures lies the human impact. In Niger’s Agadez, women trapped in migration debt are pushed into sex work and cocaine use. In Freetown, young men recruited as port “handlers” risk arrest while their bosses remain untouched.
The corridor funds corruption, weakens governance, and fuels instability in already fragile states. As the United Nations has warned, the overlap between drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and extremist groups in the Sahel poses an existential threat to the region.
Why This Matters GloballyEurope: With up to 30% of its cocaine now entering through West Africa, Europe’s drug market is directly shaped by what happens in Bissau or Praia.
West Africa: The cocaine corridor undermines fragile democracies, with corruption spreading from ports to parliaments.
Global Security: Criminal networks adapt faster than law enforcement. Each crackdown in one region simply redirects the flow elsewhere.
ConclusionThe Cocaine Corridor is no longer a side route. It is a central highway of the global drug trade, anchored by Balkan clans, Albanian logisticians, Brazilian suppliers, and European fugitives.
For West Africa, the stakes are high: whether the region becomes a permanent hub of organized crime—or whether international pressure, local resilience, and stronger governance can stem the tide.
Stay informed with the latest African media trends, job opportunities, and development news. Connecting Africa with global media and development partners.
