Financial Crime World

Albania’s Organized Crime Landscape: Challenges and Recommendations

Resilience: Weak Institutions and Corruption

  • High level of corruption and weak institutional capacity have allowed organized crime to flourish in Albania.
  • The government has acknowledged the problem and implemented judicial and anti-corruption reforms, but progress is slow due to polarization, frequent crises, and persistent grand corruption.

Leadership and Governance: Checks on Power Structures

  • A lack of checks and balances on power structures hinders the Albanian government’s ability to tackle organized crime.
  • However, the country has a robust legislative framework to address organized crime, with membership in international law enforcement networks and extradition agreements in place.

Criminal Justice and Security: Integrity and Capacity

  • The Albanian judiciary lacks independence and capacity, and corruption often undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.
  • Detention facilities are reported to be lacking in quality, and the law enforcement response to organized crime is often delayed and inadequate due to resource constraints and corruption.

Economic and Financial Environment: Vulnerability to Corruption

  • Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, with a significant informal economy that contributes to corruption and money laundering.
  • The country lacks contract enforcement, clear property rights, and effective regulatory frameworks, making it vulnerable to organized crime.

Civil Society and Social Protection: Aid for Vulnerable Groups

  • The Albanian government has made progress in passing legislation on victim support, but implementation is lacking.
  • Civil society organizations (CSOs) with donor support are the primary providers of aid for most cases involving vulnerable groups.
  • However, CSOs depend heavily on external funding, and public funding for CSOs is minimal.

Key Findings

  • Albania’s organized crime landscape is characterized by a high level of corruption and weak institutional capacity.
  • The government has implemented judicial and anti-corruption reforms, but progress is slow due to polarization, frequent crises, and persistent grand corruption.
  • The Albanian judiciary lacks independence and capacity, and corruption often undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.
  • Detention facilities are reported to be lacking in quality, and the law enforcement response to organized crime is often delayed and inadequate due to resource constraints and corruption.
  • Albania’s economy is characterized by a significant informal economy that contributes to corruption and money laundering.
  • The country lacks contract enforcement, clear property rights, and effective regulatory frameworks, making it vulnerable to organized crime.

Recommendations

  1. Strengthen judicial independence and capacity: Implement reforms and training programs for judges and prosecutors to improve the integrity of the criminal justice system.
  2. Improve detention facilities: Enhance the quality of detention facilities and law enforcement response to organized crime by addressing resource constraints and corruption.
  3. Develop effective anti-money laundering regulations: Establish and enforce effective regulations and mechanisms to combat money laundering and its contribution to organized crime.
  4. Increase public funding for civil society organizations (CSOs): Provide more resources to CSOs to promote their financial independence and reduce reliance on external funding.
  5. Enhance media freedom and editorial independence: Promote a free and independent media environment by addressing challenges to media freedom and editorial independence.

By addressing these challenges, Albania can improve its ability to tackle organized crime and create a safer and more prosperous future for its citizens.