Now Albanian criminal gangs are recruiting cannabis farmers on TikTok after they used social media to advertise human trafficking routes

Albanian criminal gangs are said to be openly recruiting cannabis farmers on TikTok, after previously advertising smuggling routes via social media.

Gang leaders are seeking live-in workers, offering them up to 30 percent of the profits from street vending, while the number of Albanians crossing the Channel to the UK is plummeting.

This came after the gangs used similar tactics to promote illegal smuggling routes into the UK for other Albanians, including via lorries, ferries and boats.

The open recruitment campaign – with a potentially large financial reward – is believed to be necessary due to a sharp increase in deportations since the previous government signed a deal with Albania in late 2022.

The number of Albanians arrested in the UK for cannabis offences has also risen, the Telegraph reports.

Gang leaders are seeking live-in workers and offering them up to 30 percent of the profits from street sales, the Telegraph reports

It follows a campaign by crime bosses to get Albanians to pay thousands of pounds to smuggle into the country

In July, 29 Albanians were sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight months to two years, and in August another 24 Albanians were sentenced.

Although recruiters still advertise, they are forced to increase incentives for farmers and workers.

One ad read: ‘I own a cannabis house. I talked to my employee and everything went wrong. Now I’m giving this employee 30 percent of the profits made in that house, minus the cost of living,’ the Telegraph reported.

Others offered 25 percent of the plants grown, or thousands of pounds, in payment.

These gangs have become dominant in the UK’s illegal cannabis trade in recent years, a position bolstered by the arrival of more than 12,000 Albanians who entered the country illegally in 2022.

Following the government crackdown, only 150 Albanians have reportedly entered the country via these routes this year.

Angela Eagle, Border Security Minister, told the newspaper: “It is shocking that criminal gangs are using social media to exploit vulnerable people. They are being lured into working in appalling conditions and growing drugs such as cannabis with false promises of profit.

Many advertisements promised ‘100 percent safe passage’ or ‘top of the line’ inflatable boats and life jackets

Prices start at £3,000 for adults and £2,500 for children and all guarantee ‘100 percent safe crossing’ using high-quality inflatable boats with life jackets.

‘Whether online or on the streets, there should be no hiding place for those who break the law.

‘We are stepping up our enforcement activities to make more arrests, increase the number of prosecutions, not just in the UK but with partners across Europe, and ensuring all our relevant partners work closely together under our new Border Control Command.’

Previously, the gangs used TikTok and Instagram to advertise smuggling services among Albanians.

Many promised a ‘100 percent safe crossing’ in ‘top class’ inflatable boats and life jackets.

Some advertisements stated that fares started at £3,000 for an adult and £2,500 for a child, while other advertisements quoted much higher fares.

Working with Kurdish gangs, the Albanians advertised the routes and took money from potential travellers. Those who did not have enough money were given the opportunity to work for criminal gangs in the UK to pay back the money.

A source in the Albanian capital Tirana told MailOnline at the time: ‘The gangs are making thousands of dollars from people trying to cross the border and it’s all because in Albania the wages and work are very low and there is no work.

‘An Albanian man in a small village knows that his prospects are bleak if he stays in his country, but he knows that if he goes to the UK he can earn a lot of money and send it to his family.’