E fundit!

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DIRTY MONEY CHALLENGES INSTITUTIONS

Përveç realitetit të rritjes me 11%, ana e dhimbëshme e fenomënit pastrues të parave të pista qendron në faktin se mosveprimi i sotëm i strukturave të luftës ndaj tij është parathënie ogurzezë për vijimësinë e të ardhmes.

2026-05-01 10:14:00, Opinione Xhovan Shyti

While the propaganda for the uncompromising fight against dirty money has intensified, the train caravan loaded with these funds continues its unstoppable journey on Albanian tracks. Even increasing its speed. To put it bluntly, the increase in the release of dirty money into the market has challenged the official propaganda, exposing the sad truth.

"Illegal transactions and related financial crimes have been influenced by the acceleration of technology and globalization," the government document: "National Strategy for Organized Crime 2026–2030" states.

Acceleration of technology and globalization.

Two risks warned by the government in October 2025, which, as official statistics reveal, have remained nothing more than "strategic" findings, but not guiding or encouraging institutions to fight the phenomenon that has been eating away at the country's liver for decades.

Because here is what the data provided by the Institute of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics shows: "The laundering of the proceeds of crime (meaning: money laundering, my explanation, Xh.Sh.), during 2025 reached 520 cases, with an increase of 11% compared to the previous year.

This level constitutes the highest record recorded in the last 10 years and restores the upward trend after a two-year period of decline, which began after the previous peak of 509 cases in 2022.

Unbelievable, but it is a reality that is not justified by either the political propaganda of the rulers or the declarativeness of the competent institutions, which, apparently, have not done the duty for which they are regularly paid every month as required. Even this inter-institutional reality is not surprising to anyone, considering the corruption of almost all the activity of state circles.

Part of this sad reality are the structures of the fight against illegal money laundering challenged by the investment boom in super-luxury construction, not only on the coast, but also in the heart of the capital.

Of all the stigmatizing findings about the phenomenon, I am choosing to bring up that of the well-known British tabloid "Daily Mail", which reported:

"A National Crime Agency investigation has revealed that large amounts of money are being taken out of the UK in recent years, with Albanian criminals ranking first in their remittances home."

From the observation of the British media "Daily Mail", four years have passed, enough to assess the strengthened situation, the fight against this phenomenon that compromises the entire Albanian society. This has not happened, on the contrary, the liberal policies of the unbridled market have brought about the increase in investments derived from dirty money.

The government's fiscal amnesty plan, which aims to allow anyone to declare and legalize assets of up to 2 million euros, without disclosing their origin, is the pivot of the black fund market, which, according to the "Daily Mail" warning: It will transform Albania into a "money laundering haven", creating the opportunity for drug lords in Great Britain to hide millions of euros generated by their criminal activity.

Four years have passed since the British media's warning. Enough to reverse the incriminating situation. Referring to recent statistics, it appears that this has not happened. Instead of being reduced, why not even stopped, the phenomenon has widened the crater. As a result, in 2025, money laundering will increase by 11% compared to 2024, a level that constitutes the highest recorded in the last 10 years.

Just four years ago, the British tabloid reported:

"It has recently been revealed that the leaders of criminal organizations in Britain have laundered large amounts of money through luxury villas, apartments, gyms, bars and even gas stations built in Albania," challenging the justification for secrecy about the areas where criminal black money has been invested.

Because none of the investment sectors that the Daily Mail mentioned four years ago are clandestine activities. On the contrary, dirty money is invested openly, in broad daylight, defying every institution responsible for the fight against the compromising phenomenon. But dirty money does not only flow from drug trafficking.

In the National Strategy for Organized Crime 2026–2030, the sources of criminal financial activities are noted as "tax evasion, official corruption, drug and human trafficking, which often enable criminal and terrorist organizations to finance their operations."

Money laundering enables criminal and terrorist organizations to finance their operations. A new fact known by the drafters of the National Strategy for Organized Crime 2026–2030 that, however, has not influenced the extramobilization of official structures to fight it. The sleepiness of these official structures has meant that during 2025 money laundering has increased by 11% compared to the previous year.

The 11% increase in the level, as well as the fact that this increase is the highest in the last ten years, is a confirmation of the fact that after 30 post-communist years in endless transition, the Albanian political class succeeded in establishing an economy of social inequality with a mafia face.

Where the success of the law is made by the possessors of dirty money, while the official part of the fight against the phenomenon only holds "straw keys" and helpful notes in drafting valuable propaganda strategies.

But, besides the reality of the 11% increase, the painful side of the money laundering phenomenon lies in the fact that today's inaction of the structures fighting it is an ominous prelude to the future./ CNA