Organized crime situation, “Open Society Albania”

The Albanian society suffers a 1.3 billion USD damage each year from the activity of organized crime. 

A study “Evaluating the risk of the organized crime”, supported by the Foundation “Open Society for Albania”, ntoes that crime in our country keeps being sophisticated. Drug trafficker, who have 42% of the problematic, have created ties with the criminal market abroad.

It has been reported that international networks use the Balkan path for strong drugs, including Albania, and also try to install labs in our country.

The study says there are no official statistics yet for the number of cannabis users, which is seen as the first step towards strong drugs. The report sees with concern also the usage of extasy by younger ages.

“I think that the part for the Extasy drug needs attention, because we did not find a policy focused on this direction”, says scholar Fabjan Zhilla.

By showing a portrait of the organized crime, the report says that extortions are used by businesses too. They create ties with criminal organizations to extort the competition. The report says that they also cooperate with hitmen who are recruiting teenagers.

“Assassinations became more sophisticated after 2011. We are seeing the first features of professional killers”, Zhilla declared.

To make the panorama more clear, the Executive Director of the “Soros” Foundation, Andi Dobrushi, 

To have a more clear panorama, the Chief Director of the Soros Foundation, Andi Dobrushi, compared the situation of the crime with the “Godfather” movie, saying that you cannot find crime without getting to know it better.

“As regards the organized crime, before building the war strategy against him, we must get to know it with all of its characteristics”, Dobrushi declared.

While guaranteeing that the fight starts with the corruption inside law enforcing agencies, Silda Anagnosti, Director of the Interior Ministry Staff, asked for more results from other institutions.

“Unjustified assets will lead to the heads of the organized crime, if they are investigated properly. I underline the need for not only police to do its job, but also the Prosecution and the Court should follow the same steps”, Anagnosti declared.

The General Director of the Police, Artan Didi, considered the fight against organized crime as more complex. According to him, so far it has placed the institution into a vicious circle.

“This vicious circle needs a solution. The law enforcing institutions should be more independent. Politicians should not be so keen in telling these institutions how the law is enforced. They should be more independent”, Didi declared.