Different reading of crime rates in the country

TIRANA, June 1 – Last week, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, reported that, following years of turmoil in the Balkans, there has been a sharp drop in crime across the region, though it still ranked Albania highest on the list.
The survey, entitled “Crime and Its Impact on the Balkans,” covered nine countries: Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro and Serbia. It was compiled by Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The report pointed to greater regional stability and democracy, the end of war profiteering and assistance from the international community, especially the European Union, as key reasons for the fall in crime.
Costa mentioned Albania having the worst crime in the region and remaining the “soft underbelly” of the Balkans for Mafia rings.
However, Interior Minister Bujar Nishani did not agree with the local media’s reporting on Albanian crime, adding that Albania had made considerable progress in fighting organized crime.
He spoke of a positive interpretation of the report, referring to Albania as one of the factors guaranteeing security in the region.
He also noted that Albania had fewer deaths compared to the average European Union member country, had confiscated considerable drugs and arrested many traffickers. He noted a fall in human trafficking to neighboring countries. (Tirana Times Staff)