At the Chief Prosecutors' Forum taking place in Tirana, the head of SPAK, Altin Dumani, has called for increased regional cooperation to crack down on organized crime.
According to him, criminal groups are interconnected and to dismantle them, the example of operations organized with Eurojust should be followed.
"It is not geography that unites us, but the fight against crime. Groups and organizations are interconnected, to dismantle them we need work as a region, more joint investigations, trust, vision and information sharing. Cooperation with Eurojust, a strategic node for cooperation, as we handled complex cases by working together. SPAK has the highest number of cases. In January-May, 10 meetings were held, 23 investigative teams with the EU and the region, one team with Latin America. Joint teams, financial investigations and asset recovery, real-time information sharing", said Dumani.
Eurojust President Michael Schmid also praised the cooperation with the Western Balkan countries in the context of cracking down on criminal groups, which mainly engage in drug trafficking and money laundering.
"The Western Balkans region has been important, as Austria has historical ties with this part of Europe. The Western Balkans are an important partner for Eurojust. You are one of the main allies in many aspects, including in the fight against crime. To increase cooperation, as criminal groups work and cross borders. We think that the Western Balkans project is a success, to increase mutual trust, to increase cooperation between the BP and the EU. We have had many joint investigations into online fraud, hundreds of people have been arrested and numerous properties have been seized, last year four groups between BP countries. They dealt with drug trafficking, counterfeiting of money. 50 actions were supported. We aim to support cross-border investigations and strategic dialogue", he said.
Meanwhile, the EU Ambassador in Tirana, Silvio Gonzato, placed emphasis on tracking money originating from illegal activities, demanding the passage of the law to establish a special Agency in this regard.
"Crime and corruption generate wealth and they must be tracked, law enforcement capacities must be increased, concrete actions are needed for financial crimes. Identifying the proceeds of crime is very important, we expect Albania to adopt a special law for the establishment of the relevant Agency. The fight against corruption and organized crime must be visible at all levels, cooperation with other actors is necessary with the police, customs, taxes, the private sector, etc.... Effective cooperation in the fight against crime and its victims. Corruption at high levels is a security threat. Crime uses corruption to gain access. Strengthening the rule of law is very valuable. Your work affects the country's integration into the EU", said Gonzato. (A2 Televizion)
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