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Europe and Central Asia EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA 301 INCSR 2006 Volume I 302 Europe and Central Asia Albania I. Summary Albania is used by organized crime groups as a transit country for heroin from Central Asia destined for Western Europe. Seizures of heroin by Albanian, Greek, and Italian authorities declined significantly in 2005, suggesting a possible change in trafficking patterns. Cannabis is also produced in Albania for markets in Europe. The Government of Albania (GoA), largely in response to international pressure and with international assistance, is confronting criminal elements more aggressively but is hampered by a lack of resources and endemic corruption. The new government led by Prime Minister Sali Berisha, in power since September 2005, has stated that fighting corruption, organized crime, and trafficking of persons and drugs is its highest priority. Albania is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. II. Status of Country Although Albania is not a major transit country for drugs coming into the United States, it remains a country of concern to the U.S., as Albania’s ports on the Adriatic and porous land borders, together with poorly financed and under-equipped border and customs controls, make Albania an attractive stop on the smuggling route for traffickers moving shipments into Western Europe. In addition, marijuana is produced domestically for markets in Europe, the largest being Italy and Greece. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2005 Policy Initiatives. In 2005, the asset forfeiture law, a key tool in the fight against organized crime, began to be successfully implemented, with the filing of eight asset forfeiture cases and the creation of the Agency for the Administration of Sequestered and Confiscated Assets. In 2005, a witness protection working group was set up at the Directorate of the Fight against Organized Crime and Witness Protection. Albania works with its neighbors bilaterally and in regional initiatives to combat organized crime and trafficking, and it is a participant in the Stability Pact and the Southeastern Europe Cooperative Initiative (SECI). Law Enforcement Efforts and Accomplishments. Albanian police continue their counternarcotics operations, including large drug seizures in Fier, Tirana, and the ports of Vlora and Durres, and have made successful raids in cooperation with Italian authorities. Albanian authorities report that through November 2005, police arrested 229 persons for drug trafficking and 30 for cannabis cultivation. An additional 37 persons are wanted. The police seized 40.8 kilograms of heroin, 5,052.3 kilograms of marijuana, and 1.2 kilograms of cocaine. Police also destroyed 332,018 cannabis plants, and confiscated 7 liters of hashish oil. The quantities of contraband seized by Albanian authorities are just a fraction of the total transiting Albania; the quantities are also quite low compared to quantities of drugs transiting or originating from Albania seized by Italian and Greek authorities. Greek authorities report that from January through September 2005, they confiscated 51.8 kilograms of heroin, 0.8 kilogram of hashish, 4,133.5 kilograms of marijuana, and approximately 0.7 kilograms of cocaine. For the period January through October 2005, Italian authorities report seizing 418.6 kilograms of heroin, and 808.3 kilograms of marijuana. Corruption. Corruption remains a deeply entrenched problem. Low salaries, social acceptance of graft, and Albania’s tightly-knit social networks make it difficult to combat corruption among police, magistrates, and customs officials. The Office of Internal Control (OIC, created with ICITAP assistance and tasked with investigating police corruption) has been instrumental in bringing about the 303 INCSR 2006 Volume I arrests of several corrupt officers. The OIC reports that it filed 172 criminal reports with the Prosecutor’s Office involving 232 police officers in 2005 (through early December). Of these cases, only one involved drug trafficking. The GoA does not, as a matter of policy, encourage or facilitate the illicit production or distribution of drugs or substances, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. Albania has signed, but has not yet ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption. Agreements and Treaties. Albania is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. An extradition treaty is in force between the United States and Albania. Under this treaty two individuals were extradited to Albania in 2005. Albania is a party to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols against migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons. Cultivation and Production, With the exception of cannabis, Albania is not known as a significant producer of illicit drugs. According to authorities of the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Narcotics Unit, cannabis is currently the only drug grown and produced in Albania and is typically sold regionally. Metric-ton quantities of Albanian marijuana have been seized in Greece and Italy. Cultivation of cannabis persists despite the authorities’ eradication efforts. As noted, the Anti-Narcotics Unit destroyed 332,018 cannabis plants in 2005. No labs for the production of synthetic drugs were discovered in 2005. Albania is not a producer of significant quantities of precursor chemicals. The Law on the Control of Chemicals Used for the Illegal Manufacturing of Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances was passed in 2002 and regulates precursor chemicals. Police and customs officials are not trained to recognize likely diversion of dual-use precursor chemicals. Drug Flow and Transit. Organized crime groups use Albania as a transit point for drug and other types of smuggling, due to the country’s strategic location, weak law enforcement and judicial systems, and porous borders. Albania is a transit point for heroin from Central Asia, which is smuggled via the “Balkan Route” of Turkey-Bulgaria-Macedonia-Albania to Italy, Greece, and the rest of Western Europe. A limited amount of cocaine is smuggled from South America to Albania, via the United States, Italy, Spain, or the Netherlands, for internal and external distribution. In 2005, seizures of heroin transiting Albania by the Albanian State Police (ASP), as well as by Italian and Greek authorities, declined significantly, suggesting that patterns of drug trafficking may be changing. Domestic Programs (Demand Reduction). The Ministry of Health believes that drug use is on the rise, though no reliable data exists on this subject. Local and national authorities collect little data and do not believe the problem is particularly widespread (owing both to the traditional cultural norms and low levels of discretionary income). Nevertheless, the GoA has taken steps to address the problem with its National Drug Demand Reduction Strategy. However, the woefully inadequate public health infrastructure is ill-equipped to treat drug abuse, and public awareness of the problems associated with drug abuse remains low. The Toxicology Center of the Military Hospital, the only facility in Albania equipped to handle overdose cases, reported that it handled about 1,800 patients seeking drug abuse- related treatment in 2005. IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation. The GoA continues to welcome assistance from the United States and Western Europe. The U.S. is intensifying its activities in the areas of law enforcement and legal reform through technical assistance, equipment donations, and training, including an October 2005 course in “Basic Narcotics Investigation Course” that was conducted by the DEA. The U.S. ICITAP and OPDAT programs played a key role in the establishment of the Office of Internal Control at the Ministry of the Interior, the Organized Crime Task Force, and the Serious Crimes Court and Serious Crimes Prosecution Office, all with the goal of professionalizing the police force, combating corruption, and strengthening the GoA’s ability to prosecute cases involving organized crime and illicit trafficking. A key part of the ICITAP program has been improving the security of Albania’s 304 Europe and Central Asia borders, including placing advisors at key ports, providing specialized equipment, and the installation of the Total Information Management System (TIMS) for at border crossing points. Other U.S., EU, and international programs include support for customs reform, judicial training and reform, improving cooperation between police and prosecutors, and anticorruption programs. Albanian law enforcement has a good bilateral relationship with Italian Interforza and has cooperated with Italian law enforcement to carry out narcotics raids in Albania. The Road Ahead. The new government, in power since September 2005, has made a commitment to making the fight against organized crime and trafficking one of its highest priorities. The U.S., together with the EU, will continue to push the GoA to make progress on fighting illegal drug trafficking, to use law enforcement assistance effectively, and to support legal reform. 305 INCSR 2006 Volume I Armenia I. Summary Armenia is not a major drug-producing country and its domestic abuse of drugs is relatively small. The Government of Armenia (GOAM), recognizing its potential as a transit route for international drug trafficking, is attempting to improve its interdiction ability. Together with Georgia and Azerbaijan, Armenia is engaged in an ongoing UN-sponsored
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