The Kosovo and Albanian prosecutors said Wednesday that regional co-operation is essential in fighting organized crime and corruption.
These comments were made during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Kosovo Prosecution and the Special Prosecution of Albania known as SPAK, which provides for the exchange of information, data and evidence related to cases of organized crime, corruption, laundering of money and terrorist financing.
Chief State Prosecutor, Aleksandër Lumezi said that these phenomena are endangering security and justice in Kosovo but also in the region.
“We are ready to cooperate with other countries in the region because we have seen that crime in the region and across borders is appearing in various forms, especially through the development of enterprises, foreign investment and new criminal offenses such as money laundering. of money and financing of terrorism “, said the chief prosecutor Lumezi.
He said that in addition to the exchange of information, there will be an exchange of documents, analyzes, reports and laws of the respective states.
The Head of the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Albania (SPAK), Arben Kraja, said that it is necessary for the entire Western Balkans region to increase cooperation in order to succeed in the fight against criminal groups.
“Organized crime and corruption, money laundering are criminal offenses that have a wide scope without discussion in the region and beyond and require the cooperation of our structures, otherwise we will never succeed,” said Mr. Kraja.
Two weeks ago, the prosecutors of both countries together with the US DEA and Italian authorities managed to seize about 400 kilograms of cocaine and arrested at least 7 people, in an operation in the municipality of Lipjan about 20 kilometers in south of Prishtina.
“Not only this case but we also had the case that was the preparation for the criminal offense of terrorism during the match between Albania and Israel where we coordinated the actions and took measures and arrested the persons for whom we had information that they are preparing the offense of terrorism “, said Mr. Lumezi.
The latest report of the Global Initiative Against International Organized Crime network states that in the Western Balkans region there is an increased activity of criminal groups with trafficking of asylum seekers and drugs, as well as money laundering through construction and gambling.
This report highlights the routes used for human trafficking from Greece through Albania to the northern border crossings with Kosovo and Montenegro.
The report states that drug trafficking from Albania passes through Kukës or Prizren, towards Ferizaj and Gjilan in Kosovo to cross into Serbia, where the border guards are again paid large amounts of euros. Another important drug route, according to them, is the Peja – Rozaje to Novi Pazar.
The heroin that comes to the region from Turkey, the report says, enters Albania from Kukes through Kosovo and goes to Durres.
International experts point out that the money laundered each year in the Western Balkan countries amounts to several billion euros, and that a large part of it is laundered through the construction field.
