Albanian drug lords are behind surge in violent street crime, says Labour MP

THE murder rate in London is soaring because of a drugs trade driven by Eastern European gangs, a former Labour minister said yesterday.

David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham where 17-year-old Tanesha Melbourne was gunned down this week, said buying drugs was as easy as ordering pizza.

And he said police had ‘lost control’ as criminals from Albania and Eastern Europe traffick people, weapons and drugs. He told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I do know from the police that there are big gangs – Eastern European, Albanian. They traffick people, they traffick drugs and they traffick guns. We are the drugs market of Europe and I think the police and our country has lost control of that drugs market.

‘You have young children – as young as 12, 13 – being recruited into gangs to run drugs across county lines. It’s like Deliveroo, they’re as prolific as ordering a pizza. You can get them on Snapchat, WhatsApp. That, in the end, is driving the turf war and it’s driving the culture of violence.’

Last month it was disclosed that UK jails held 726 Albanians last year, up from 267 in 2013.

Mr Lammy said: ‘There is absolutely no sign, I’ve got to tell you at the moment, of a reduction in the violence. I’ve been an MP now for 18 years and I’m afraid what we’re seeing today is the worst I’ve ever seen it.’