US report: Albania 'haven' of criminal organizations, growth of 17% in 2025

2026-07-28 18:18:00, Aktualitet CNA

US report: Albania 'haven' of criminal organizations, growth of 17% in

The latest report compiled by the US State Department's OSAC structure focuses in detail on the crime threat in Albania.

The report notes that the overall crime rate in Albania increased from 2024 to 2025 by about 17%. The biggest drivers of this reported increase are drug-related crimes and fraud.

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Property crimes saw an increase of about 3%, but robberies fell by 21%, continuing a nationwide shift toward nonviolent, nonconfrontational crimes. Violent crime, including homicides, also fell for the fifth consecutive year, falling by about 3% in 2025, according to the report.

The report further emphasizes that organized crime has a significant impact in Albania, which is home to a network of criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, extortion, bribery, money laundering, prostitution, and human trafficking.

"Many of Europe's illicit weapons and explosives originate from or transit through Albania, and authorities have shifted their attention to disrupting arms trafficking networks," the US report says.

Among other things, it is estimated that street crime is common in urban areas, mainly at night. The most notable are burglaries of unoccupied homes and vehicles, bag snatching, and street scams. /CNA