TIRANA, Jan. 30 – Approximately 270 convicts in Albania, suspected or convicted as members of criminal networks, are expected to soon undergo a special regime which will keep them isolated and unable to communicate with the outside world.
The special measures, which formally enter into force on Wednesday, are part of the discussions at a special conference organized by the Justice Ministry with Italy’s Antimafia Prosecution, which will provide assistance for their implementation.
The regime, which has also been included in the Criminal Code amendments, is based precisely on the Italian model and provides for prisoners to be kept in isolation and under special supervision for a certain period of time.
Head of the Italian anti-mafia Federico Cafiero de Raho said that such a measure will lead to the weakening of criminal networks while also serving as a signal of change of citizens, who might begin to trust their institutions more.
“Stopping the contact of the heads of criminal organizations with their people outside of prison and following the traces of money are the most efficient formulas in fighting criminality. Both of these measures are essential for Albania,” de Raho said.
He explained that Albanian groups specialize in drug trafficking, ensuring large amounts of money which, according to many studies, are reinvested primarily in the countries of origin.
“Without an efficient action to prevent illegal assets, the risk that the country’s economy will be touched is enormous. Therefore, undertaking preventive measures is essential,” the Head of the EU Delegation to Tirana Luigi Soreca said.
Soreca stressed that concrete results in the fight against organized crime and corruption are a key priority for the June decision regarding the opening of EU membership talks.
He praised the recent confiscation of illegal properties, or police operations that “have led to significant arrests,” underlining that “it is time for these achievements to be consolidated with decisions and sentences that will constitute clear and sustainable steps forward in the fight against crime and corruption.”
