How the fall of Sky ECC exposed Dritan Gjika’s operations in Ecuador

The international criminal assistance provided to Ecuador by Spain in the Pampa case has uncovered thousands of messages from the Albanian mafia, which used the encrypted communication platform Sky ECC to coordinate its illicit activities.

In 2021, European authorities intercepted millions of Sky ECC messages, marking the beginning of major operations against organized crime. Three years later, some of these intercepted messages have become crucial to the investigation into the Albanian mafia’s operations in Ecuador, known as the Pampa case.

Spain sent Ecuador a hard drive containing thousands of messages exchanged by Dritan Gjika, identified as the leader of the Albanian mafia in Ecuador, and his associates. These communications reveal how Gjika and his partners orchestrated the import of cocaine from Colombia and its shipment to Europe, often hidden in banana shipments. Through these messages, they also negotiated prices and arranged payments via bank transfers.

By 2020, the messages show that the Albanian mafia’s operations in Ecuador were thriving, as they successfully contaminated numerous containers with cocaine, shipping them from Ecuadorian ports to Europe. These conversations are part of the Pampa case investigation, which focuses on organized crime and money laundering.

The Fall of Sky ECC
Sky ECC was an encrypted messaging network that provided users with customized phones lacking cameras, microphones, or GPS. It also featured an option for messages to self-destruct if unread within 48 hours, making it a popular tool among organized crime groups. This platform’s high level of security led criminals to share unfiltered information, even including photos of torture.

However, in March 2021, a major operation in Belgium dismantled much of the Sky ECC network, allowing Belgian authorities to intercept millions of messages. The data revealed over 171,000 active phones, many located near the port of Antwerp, a primary entry point for cocaine into Europe. These intercepted messages have since been used in numerous operations targeting organized crime globally.

Gjika’s Communications

The Sky ECC messages exchanged by Dritan Gjika primarily detail the coordination of drug shipments. In 2020, Gjika, who went by the alias “Tony,” discussed using the “blind hook” method—a technique in which drugs are concealed in containers without the shipper or consignee’s knowledge. This method is widely used by traffickers.

In an exchange from August 18, 2020, Gjika confirmed the success of a shipment to Russia using the blind hook technique:

• TMALQK: Yes, Russia arrived all right.
• Gjika: There were no problems.
• TMALQK: Uuuuuui.
• Gjika: But since it was put in suitcases at the door, it’s a blind spot. I already have everything coordinated for this here.
• TMALQK: Ok.
• Gjika: But they’re not going to mess it up like last time.
• TMALQK: No.
• Gjika: Because it’s in suitcases at the door. Everything was done properly. They’re not in boxes or on pallets, just behind the door with a blind hook.
• TMALQK: Next time, you want.
• Gjika: We’ll leave it like that for now. We’ll do the small ones. It’ll pay off, you’ll see. In two months we’ll reach our goal.

Gjika frequently mentioned using suitcases to place drugs at the doors of containers. In another conversation on July 29, 2021, he asked an unidentified person to find a banana company to use for contaminating a dry cargo container.

Seizures and Setbacks

The messages also reference drug seizures. On August 16, 2020, 1,100 kg of cocaine, with an estimated market value of €82 million, were seized in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The container, shipped by Sentilver, had left Guayaquil on July 26. Another defendant, Héctor Pesantes, informed Gjika of the seizure and attempted to assure him that their security had not been compromised:

Pesantes: For me, it’s strange, brother. There’s no information leak here. Those guys invested, and the person who profiled the ship where that safe came from has been removed. It’s a fact, at least.

Coinciding Logos on Seized Drugs

One key method investigators used to link drug shipments to Gjika’s organization was analyzing the logos or labels found on drug packages seized from contaminated containers. All of these containers were associated with Sentilver, owned by Mario Sánchez Rinaldi, although Agricomtrade, owned by Gjika, handled their consolidation.

13 contaminated containers detected in the Pampa case

For example, drug packages seized in Rotterdam in August 2020 bore logos like “BMW” and “Bu2,” which also appeared in photos found in Gjika’s Sky ECC messages. Similarly, the “1a” label was found on at least seven Sentilver containers contaminated with drugs and seized in Belgium between 2020 and 2021. Photos featuring this logo were also present in Gjika’s Sky ECC messages.

These findings have become key evidence in the ongoing Pampa case investigation into the Albanian mafia’s drug trafficking and money laundering operations in Ecuador.