Albania urged for stronger fight against drugs

TIRANA, March 13 – Corruption, weak judiciary and law enforcement bodies continue to hamper progress in the fight against organized crime in the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia, says the U.S. State Department (USDS) in its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR).
The report offers a comprehensive overview of anti-narcotics efforts abroad, addressing production and trafficking of drugs, as well as secondary crimes such as drug-related corruption and money laundering. Internal and international strategies of each country are assessed, and the report offers suggestions for improvements in the areas of law enforcement, admini-stration, and public awareness.
Albania is an exception, with its notable but decreasing production of marijuana.
According to the report, corruption presents a serious problem for Albania’s efforts to combat organized crime.
“Low salaries, social acceptance of graft and Albania’s tightly knit social networks make it difficult to combat corruption among police, judges and customs officials” the report reads. Despite the increase in the number of prosecuted corruption cases, the number of guilty verdicts dropped by 23 percent compared to 2010. “Some verdicts seemed ques-tionable, giving the evidence, suggesting that judicial independence for unbiased, transparent proceedings continues to be a problem.”