FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The DASH report highlights the influence of criminal groups on society and governance, drug trafficking, and how organized crime money is being laundered through construction. Money sent from abroad (remittances) and investments from abroad sometimes hide the sources of funds. Criminals launder proceeds through real estate purchases, construction projects, virtual assets, and business development.
A US State Department report on drug trafficking and money laundering strategy has hit both Prime Minister Edi Rama and Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha. While the report praises and supports SPAK for its crackdowns, it notes that Albanian crime is laundering drug money through the construction of high-rise buildings and the purchase of real estate in Tirana and other areas, especially the coast.
The message that the American authorities give through this report is that Albania faces a sophisticated and internationalized organized crime that has penetrated the economy and administration, but institutions like SPAK have shown "capacity for significant strikes", with the help of international partners.
However, for the US, "implementation of reforms, increased financial investigations, and criminal prosecution of money laundering" are still at insufficient levels and need to be intensified to meet international standards and EU integration objectives.
In the report, Berisha continues to be considered 'non grata', although the Democratic leader, after Trump entered the White House, hoped that this sanction would be lifted.
“ In 2023, SPAK seized assets worth $43 million and, in 2024, continued with the arrests and seizure of assets of former senior officials. In September 2024, SPAK charged former Prime Minister and appointee under the “Department of State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Authorizations Act, 2021”, section 7031(c), Sali Berisha with corruption for official actions that benefited his family’s interests. SPAK also charged his son-in-law with corruption and money laundering. SPAK seized real estate, bank accounts, and the son-in-law’s share in companies linked to the corruption ,” the DASH report states.
The report also hits Prime Minister Edi Rama, while the report emphasizes that "Albania must continue efforts to strengthen the rule of law, tighten regulations and oversight of money laundering, and combat the influence of organized crime groups throughout government and society."
“ Most money laundering in Albania is related to drug and human trafficking, government contract fraud, tax evasion, and smuggling. A largely cash-based economy, weak border controls, and weak customs enforcement facilitate a black market for smuggled goods. Money sent from abroad (remittances) and investments from abroad sometimes hide the sources of funds. Criminals launder proceeds through real estate purchases, construction projects, virtual assets, and business development ,” the DASH report states.
According to the State Department, corruption continues to be a major problem in Albania. The report assesses that corruption, weak rule of law, and unemployment fuel the drug trafficking problem in Albania,” the State Department report emphasizes.
According to the report, "Albanian-led organized crime plays a significant role in supplying international markets with cannabis, cocaine and heroin", while it is noted that these groups "exhibit increasingly sophisticated communication and money laundering techniques" .
“ Albanian-led criminal groups in particular have played a significant and increasingly sophisticated role in supplying international markets with illicit drugs, expanding trafficking routes from Latin America to European Union countries, the United Kingdom and the United States, and exploiting aspects of the Albanian economy to fuel corruption and financial crime.
Albanian-led organized crime plays a significant role in supplying international markets with cannabis, cocaine and heroin, according to Albanian law enforcement authorities. These Albanian-led organized crime groups exhibit increasingly sophisticated crimes, communication techniques and money laundering. They operate throughout the Balkans, as well as in the European Union (EU), the United States, Canada, South America, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
“Violent crime in Albania, including homicides, is often linked to organized crime, and judges, prosecutors, police, politicians, journalists, and activists are subject to intimidation. Albania participates in the Global Coalition to Address the Threat of Synthetic Drugs, but during this reporting period officials did not report the seizure of fentanyl or other synthetic drugs in significant quantities ,” the March 2025 DASH report on drugs and corruption in Albania states.
Key parts of the State Department report on Albania
Grupet kriminale të udhëhequra nga shqiptarët në veçanti kanë luajtur një rol të rëndësishëm dhe gjithnjë e më të sofistikuar në furnizimin e tregjeve ndërkombëtare me droga të paligjshme, duke zgjeruar rrugët e trafikimit nga Amerika Latine në vendet e Bashkimit Evropian, Mbretërinë e Bashkuar dhe Shtetet e Bashkuara, dhe duke shfrytëzuar aspekte të ekonomisë shqiptare për të furnizuar korrupsionin dhe krimin financiar.
Agjencitë ligjzbatuese shqiptare kanë bashkëpunuar me autoritetet në Evropë, Amerikën e Jugut dhe Shtetet e Bashkuara për të ndihmuar në çmontimin e grupeve të krimit të organizuar ndërkombëtar përgjegjëse për trafikimin e drogës dhe pastrimin e parave, por janë të nevojshme përpjekje të qëndrueshme për të luftuar ndikimin e grupeve të krimit të organizuar. Përveç Evropës, rrjetet kriminale ndërkombëtare kanë zgjeruar gjithashtu trafikimin dhe konsumimin e kokainës në pjesë të Azisë, Afrikës dhe Australisë. Këto zhvillime theksojnë në mënyrë dramatike rëndësinë e bashkërendimit më të madh dhe ndarjes së barrës me partnerët evropianë dhe ndërkombëtarë të Shteteve të Bashkuara.
Krimi i organizuar i udhëhequr nga shqiptarët luan një rol të rëndësishëm në furnizimin e tregjeve ndërkombëtare me kanabis, kokainë dhe heroinë, sipas autoriteteve të ligjzbatimit shqiptar. Këto grupe të krimit të organizuar të udhëhequra nga shqiptarët ekspozojnë krime, teknika komunikimi dhe pastrimi parash gjithnjë e më të sofistikuara. Ata operojnë në të gjithë Ballkanin, si dhe në Bashkimin Evropian (BE), Shtetet e Bashkuara, Kanada, Amerikën e Jugut, Mbretërinë e Bashkuar, Emiratet e Bashkuara Arabe dhe në Turqi.
Rrjetet kriminale shqiptare kanë qasje të drejtpërdrejtë tek prodhimi i kokainës në Amerikën e Jugut dhe rrjetet e trafikimit që e sjellin kokainën në Evropë dhe Mbretërinë e Bashkuar. Ata përdorin ekonominë shqiptare, veçanërisht sektorin e ndërtimit, për të pastruar të ardhurat dhe kontribuojnë në korrupsion.
Krimi i dhunshëm në Shqipëri, përfshirë vrasjet, shpesh lidhet me krimin e organizuar, dhe gjyqtarë, prokurorë, policë, politikanë, gazetarë dhe aktivistë janë subjekt i frikësimit. Shqipëria merr pjesë në Koalicionin Global për të adresuar Kërcënimet e Drogave Sintetike, por gjatë kësaj periudhe raportimi zyrtarët nuk raportuan sekuestrimin e fentanilit ose drogave të tjera sintetike në sasi të konsiderueshme.
Prokurorët dhe agjencitë e zbatimit të ligjit shqiptar morën pjesë në ekipe hetimore të përbashkëta të rëndësishme për kërkesat e anëtarësimit në BE. Këto dhe operacione të tjera, shpesh të mbështetura nga këshilltarë të SHBA-së dhe BE-së, çuan në shkatërrimin e disa organizatave të rëndësishme të krimit të organizuar ndërkombëtar dhe trafikimit të drogës në vitin 2024. Struktura e Posaçme e Prokurorisë kundër Korrupsionit dhe Krimit të Organizuar (SPAK) e Shqipërisë mori pjesë në 35 ekipe hetimore të përbashkëta në vitin 2023 dhe zgjeruan përdorimin e tyre në vitin 2024.
SPAK also seized and confiscated significant assets, including real estate, vehicles, businesses, and cash. In one example, SPAK and the Albanian State Police coordinated with Eurojust, Europol, and other authorities to target an Albanian-led organized crime group that trafficked cocaine and laundered proceeds through companies that supplied false invoices worth approximately $400 million. The operation led to 66 arrests and the seizure of 360 kilograms of cocaine, $4.3 million in cash, and $65 million in weapons and other assets.
Albanian authorities continued to investigate domestic cannabis cultivation and international cannabis trafficking. For example, a joint operation in 2024 led to the dismantling of seven organized crime groups and the seizure of $4.8 million in cash, firearms, vehicles, and other assets, as well as 20 arrests on charges of murder, illegal possession of weapons, and drug cultivation and trafficking.
Corruption, weak rule of law, and unemployment fuel the drug trafficking problem in Albania.
Albania should continue efforts to strengthen the rule of law, tighten money laundering regulations and oversight, and combat the influence of organized crime groups throughout government and society. Albanian law enforcement should expand cooperation with international counterparts to proactively target Albanian transnational criminal networks.
Criminals launder proceeds through real estate purchases, construction projects, virtual assets and business development," while the new law on online sports betting raises concerns about the possibility of criminal groups penetrating the sector due to "weak oversight."
On February 15, 2024, parliament legalized sports betting, overturning a 2018 ban. The new law, which came into effect on March 27, 2024, legalizes sports betting only in an online environment and will grant 10 licenses to reputable companies. The new law raises concerns that weak oversight could allow organized crime to infiltrate the activity. Casino gambling is overseen by the Gambling Supervision Agency.
Judges and prosecutors continue to be scrutinized for unjustified assets,” while an independent commission, supported by the US and EU, “dismissed 22 judges and prosecutors in the 12 months leading up to October 2024.”
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