KRISTI CETA
13 Nov 2023
Interior Minister Taulant Balla held a meeting this Monday (November 13) with the Secretary General of Interpol, JurgenStock in Lyon, France, within the framework of the fight against organized crime.
Balla emphasizes that the time has come to pave the way for the extradition of crime bosses
Balla emphasizes that the time has come to pave the way for the extradition of crime bosses from Dubai and LatinAmerica.
"I am today in Lyon, at the headquarters of Interpol, where I met with Secretary General Jurgen Stock and other senior leadersof this organization, to deepen cooperation in finding persons wanted by Albanian justice, in the fight against organized crime and the trafficking of narcotics, as well as in strengthening the capacities of the State Police in dealing with cybercrimes.
We already have a list of people wanted by Albanian justice for serious crimes who have been hiding for years, such as a certainnumber of people in the United Emirates or in Latin America, for whom together with Interpol we must put an end to impunity. Their extradition to Albania should be carried out as soon as possible.
Albania has a long history of cooperation with Interpol, starting from 1991, this cooperation has grown and strengthened over the years in parallel with the need to efficiently respond to the global threats that our society faces such as terrorism, organized crime, corruption, drug trafficking.
Criminal networks are able to traffic to Albania, but also from Albania to Europe, and different quantities and types of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. And as international borders become more and more permeable, access to and abuse of drugs have become more and more widespread, especially among young people.
Drug trafficking is often associated with other forms of crime, such as money laundering or corruption. Trafficking routes canalso be used by criminal networks to transport other illicit products.
And as criminals find increasingly creative ways to hide the proceeds of crime and evade justice, real-time information sharing with Interpol on fugitives is essential to tracking, locating and prosecuting individuals and criminal groups.
In the meeting I held with the Secretary General of Interpol, I had the opportunity to express to him my appreciation for the excellent cooperation between Interpol and our police structures and the will and determination of the Albanian government to further strengthen cooperation with this organization in the fight against crime organized and drug trafficking.
The impressive results achieved to date as a result of cooperation with Interpol, for locating and arresting some of the most wanted persons by justice, will be further deepened in the future thanks to the multilateral cooperation platforms made possible by this organization with all places where traffickers and criminal groups are sheltered.
With INTERPOL's support, we also aim to increase the capacity of State Police to prevent, detect, investigate and crack down on cybercrime, which has a massive economic and social impact on governments, businesses and individuals around the world," Balla stated.