Belgian Chief Prosecutor Ann Fransen has stated that Albanian organized crime is gaining more ground every day, writes A2 CNN.
Fransen made the comments in an interview with "DeMorgen" , where she focused on the fight against organized crime in the country, which, according to her, invests money in Morocco, Albania and the United Arab Emirates.
Fransen also mentioned the SKY ECC intercepts, which, according to her, show that Albanian criminal groups have strengthened and are extremely violent in their activity.
She also said that Belgian authorities are working with Albanian justice to crack down on criminal organizations originating from our country and seize their money.
'DeMorgen' article:
For 17 years she handled the most serious terror cases. Since last year, Ann Fransen has been the first woman to head the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office.
Cooperation with foreign countries is one of its priorities. In March, the Emirates' highest court gave the green light for the extradition of Nordin El Hajjioui, 38, known as 'Fat Nordin van de Dam'. This month, Antwerp drug lord Othman El Ballouti was also arrested in Dubai, another high-value target.
"We have had an extradition treaty since 2021, but now we are focusing more on direct contacts with the Federal Public Prosecutor's office," says Fransen.
"This pays off. You can endure as much as you want, if you don't know the people it becomes more difficult," she adds.
She was taught to fight crime from a young age. Ann Fransen is the daughter of Herman Fransen, the last commander of the Gendarmerie and, after the police reform in the late 1990s, the first Commissioner General of the Belgian Federal Police.
His father, her grandfather, was a brigade commander in Wolvertem. “It was my dream to become the first female gendarmerie officer,” says Fransen. “When I was 18, I took the entrance exam to the military school, but I was rejected on medical grounds.”
She studied law and after a short period as a lawyer, Fransen began her career as a magistrate at the Brussels public prosecution office.
-The first media frenzy was the suspension of the investigation into the Nivelles Gang. However, this gang was a top priority in the 2023 annual report.
That case is a top priority, but when I became a federal prosecutor, it turned out that the investigating judge and the case director no longer saw any possible investigative action for us. The decision had already been made before I was appointed, but I felt it was my duty to send that message to the victims myself. I think everyone saw then how difficult it was for me to do this. We would have liked to have seen it differently.
-Then how can the Gang file be reactivated?
A golden tip, or someone who feels sorry on their deathbed and can say something. It doesn't matter if it's an eyewitness, an author or someone who was involved themselves. Important and relevant information is still welcome.
-Are drug lords selling the Emirates to Turkey?
There is a suspicion of a 'waterbed' effect: if you treat a criminal phenomenon, it will move. Like drug trafficking, which will not stop if we control the main ports. Then it moves to the smaller ports.
In the fight against the cocaine mafia, we have focused strongly in recent months on recovering criminal assets. The profits from drug trafficking often disappear abroad: in Morocco, Albania, the Emirates. Each country has different laws. In Morocco, confiscation was only possible in the event of a conviction for terrorist financing or money laundering. We learned that it is better to structure our investigations into the import and export of drugs differently, for example by systematically adding a money laundering component.
We are one step further with the Albanians. Albanian organized crime continues to gain ground. This was evident from the breach of the encrypted messaging service Sky ECC. Investigators came across shocking reports, which showed that gangs do not shy away from extreme violence.
Now we are going after the money. Together with the Albanian judiciary, we are developing a framework for the seizure of the proceeds of criminal activity. We want to achieve this in the Emirates as well. We must not only ensure that they hand over their high-value assets, but also that we can recover their illicit assets.
-But this has never happened so far.
"Not in the Emirates, but in Morocco, a decision has just been made with a confiscation order. We have also had successes in Albania."
Not only are there foreign gifts, but there’s also a glass jar of sugar cubes on her desk. Fransen became a grandmother to her first grandson, Arthur, in October. “Unfortunately, I don’t see him much,” she says. Every now and then it occurs to me: if I keep doing this, that boy will soon be 10 years old and I’ll have missed everything.
-You are the first woman to head a federal prosecutor's office. Do you attach importance to this?
I think this is a signal. Women have already come to me, from administration to magistrates, to say how happy they are with my appointment. One lawyer told me during her evaluation that I gave her courage. She was so often in trouble with taking care of her children that she had doubts about her performance. But I admit: I made my decision at a time when my children were out of the house.
-Your predecessor, Frédéric Van Leeuw, could not appear anywhere, not even in the opera, without security. Is that the case for you too?
During the period of the attacks, Frédéric was very exposed. He even appeared in IS propaganda videos. Today the situation is different. There is currently no concrete threat that would make me need security. Investigating judge Philippe Van Linthout recently sounded the alarm, and rightly so. Organized crime has evolved to the point that journalists, judges and others are increasingly becoming targets of threats. We still have a long way to go in that area. Psychosocial support for magistrates is also lacking.
-You handle the most serious murder cases, but you can't call a psychologist?
That domain is practically empty. Meanwhile, we're dealing with creepy files. I won't hide the fact that this work sometimes involves tears. (A2 Televizion)
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