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DASH report: Albania local base for international drug traffickers

2022-03-02 18:24:08Fokus SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

DASH report: Albania local base for international drug traffickers

Albania is a source of cannabis and a local base for organised crime groups moving illegal drugs from countries of origin to European markets. This is the assessment of the US State Department's annual Report on the Strategy of International Traffic Control of Narcotics, which also includes another chapter on money laundering, under which "Albania remains vulnerable to Money Laundering due to corruption, the presence of organised crime networks and gaps in legislation and oversight".

State of traffic of the substances

According to the report, "Albanian cannabis is sent to Turkey and exchanged for heroin and cocaine, which are smuggled through Europe by Albanian national traffickers", who are estimated to "play a major role in international narcotics trafficking and organised crime networks". Albania is considered "a key element of the Balkan drug trafficking route in Western Europe and the United Kingdom", while noting that "Albanian organised crime groups are present in the United States, Great Britain and throughout Europe, as well as in South America, including Ecuador, Colombia and Peru." Albanian groups are estimated to have extended their presence to all traffic jams from purchase, transport, distribution to the sales chain in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The report, says Voice of America, stresses that "Albanian authorities recorded an increase in cocaine seizures in the Port of Durres in 2021, mainly in banana shipments from Ecuador" and that "Albanian albanian forces of Albanian rule participated in several law enforcement operations in many states in 2021, with Albanian citizens arrested among others in Greece, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. The report also mentions co-operation with American counterparts for the arrest and sequestration of narcotics shipments as well as drug processing laboratories in Albania, or the sequestration of assets in Albania, linked to international drug trafficking.

The Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organised Crime, SPAK, is estimated to have "recorded several successes in 2021, including the arrest of 38 persons, including a prosecutor and some senior police officials, as part of a major international investigation into the trafficking of narcotics".

According to the report "relatively weak rule of law, corruption and high unemployment are the main instigators" of the drug phenomenon in Albania. Violent crime in Albania is often linked to organised crime and judges, prosecutors, police and journalists have been subject to threats.

The report notes that "Albanian organised crime groups continue to clean up revenues in Albania and contribute to corruption in the country. Albania must continue efforts for justice reform, strengthen anti-money laundering regulations and oversight, and work to erode the impact of organised crime across governance and society.

Money laundering

"While the Government has made progress towards preventing money laundering during 2021, much more remains to be done", stresses the report in the chapter dedicated to this phenomenon.

Trafficking in narcotics and other organised crime activities, including trafficking in human beings, or tax evasion and smuggling are considered "the main sources of cleared funds". While Albania's geographical position and the presence of Albanian networks in organised crime in Western Europe and South America "make it even weaker".

Albania, according to the report, "remains vulnerable to money laundering due to corruption, the presence of organised crime networks and gaps in legislation and oversight", while it is noted that the country "has a large cash economy and an informal sector, with significant shipments of migrants and influxes of investment money from abroad".

The construction, real estate and enterprise involvement sector are, according to the report, among the most widespread methods of laundering illegal income. "While most gambling objects were closed and declared illegal in 2019, legislation still allows casino games in five-star hotels. Online betting, although illegal, again occurs through platforms located outside Albania.

Albania, the report explains, continues to use its anti-mafia law to seize companies linked to drug trafficking and corruption. Continued judicial reforms have improved Albania's prospects for tackling money laundering. However, these efforts are still hampered by capacity challenges, insufficient oversight of specific sectors and the need to improve co-operation between law enforcement bodies and supervisory bodies.

The report notes some changes in the legislative framework aimed at preventing money laundering, but "the implementation of recent legal and policy changes has been inconsistent". The report notes that the legislation in force "is effective in the initial sequestration of wealth", but "meeting the requirements of the evidence for the final sequestration of wealth remains challenging".

Raporti thekson se “Shqipëria duhet të zbatojë në mënyrë efektive ligjet ekzistuese, të ushtrojë funksione efektive mbikëqyrëse, të përmirësojë bashkëpunimin mbikëqyrës dhe ligjzbatues dhe të vazhdojë të zhvillojë kapacitetet e policisë dhe prokurorëve të saj për t'u fokusuar në korrupsionin, pastrimin e parave dhe krimet ekonomike. Zbatimi i reformave thelbësore të kodit penal në 2016 dhe 2017, është ende një sfidë. Përkundër një numri të konsiderueshëm të hetimeve të pastrimit të parave në vitet e fundit, numri i ndjekjeve penale të lidhura me të, mbetet i ulët”.

Raporti vë në dukje se në nëntë muajt e parë të vitit 2021, ka pasur 32 dënime individuale për pastrim të parave, dhe se Policia e shtetit iu referoi prokurorëve 318 raste të pastrimit të parave në nëntë muajt e parë të vitit 2021. Në nëntë muajt e parë të vitit 2021, 1135 persona janë ndjekur penalisht për korrupsion, një rritje prej 37 për qind krahasuar me të njejtën periudhë të vitit 2020. Agjencia e Administrimit të Pasurive të Sekuestruara dhe Konfiskuara regjistroi 19.7 milionë dollarë në para dhe prona të sekuestruara në gjashtë muajt e parë të 2021, një rritje nga e njejta periudhë e një viti më parë. Raporti përmend dhe sekuestrimin nga SPAK-u “të miliona dollarëve pasuri, përfshirë pasuri të paluajtshme, aksione të korporatave dhe dy kanale televizive, nga Ylli Ndroqi, një biznesmen i akuzuar për pasuri të pabazuara dhe lidhje me trafikun e drogës”.


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