4+ tons monthly. $725M+ seized. Sayari mapped the cartel’s corporate empire.

Balkan transnational criminal organizations have emerged as major players in the global cocaine trade, operating sophisticated logistics networks connecting South American production zones to European consumer markets. The Dritan Gjika network represents one of the most significant TCOs disrupted in recent years, with $725M+ in seized assets and a trafficking operation capable of moving 4+ tons of cocaine per month through Ecuador-based fruit export companies.

Sayari trade data reveals how the network used legitimate fruit export businesses in Ecuador as a logistics cover for cocaine shipments. The operation exploited the high volume of agricultural exports between Ecuador and Europe – hiding cocaine within containerized fruit shipments. Trade pattern analysis identifies anomalies in shipping volumes, counterparty relationships, and route selection that distinguish the front companies from legitimate exporters operating the same trade lanes.

Corporate registration data across Ecuador and Spain reveals the full scope of the Gjika network’s corporate infrastructure – 17+ companies linked through shared ownership, common directors, and overlapping business addresses. The network used layered corporate structures to separate the legitimate-appearing front businesses from the ultimate beneficial owners, creating deliberate complexity to frustrate law enforcement investigations. Sayari Graph maps these connections, revealing the organizational hierarchy that corporate records alone make opaque.

Transnational organized crime investigations are fundamentally corporate investigations. Criminal networks use the same corporate infrastructure as legitimate businesses – company registrations, trade finance, logistics providers, and banking relationships. Sayari’s approach demonstrates how corporate and trade data can accelerate TCO investigations by mapping the full organizational infrastructure, identifying previously unknown entities, and providing evidence-grade documentation for prosecution and asset seizure.