More brutal and more sophisticated/ Albanian organized crime in Germany is increasing significantly

The main field of activity of Albanians in organized crime is the trafficking of narcotics, according to the report of the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation (BKA).

The participation of Albanians in organized crime in Germany has taken on new dimensions, being emphasized in the latest report of the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation (BKA) for the year 2023.

This report, presented on Thursday in Berlin, points out a significant increase in the number of Albanian citizens suspected of involvement in criminal activities. According to the data, the number of Albanian citizens suspected of organized crimes has increased to 285, from 254 in 2022.

In addition to the Albanians from Albania, about 100 suspects come from Kosovo. It is noticeable that 40% of Albanians involved in these criminal activities are people who have sought asylum in Germany and benefited from the social system. In this group, Albanians occupy the second place, after Syrian citizens.

More brutal, more sophisticated

The BKA report shows that Albanian criminal groups are increasingly involved in drug trade and trafficking. The main activity of these groups is the trafficking of cocaine and cannabis products. According to the report, in 2023, 23 investigative processes were conducted for Albanians for cocaine trafficking and 15 for smuggling cannabis products.

Another aspect of Albanian criminality that emerges from this report is the increase in violence and the use of firearms. Groups have also begun to use modern technology to bypass authorities, through encrypted communications and the use of new technologies, making it more difficult to track them. In the report, Albanians rank second after Germans in terms of the use of such technologies, surpassing other groups such as Turkish, Serbian and Italian ones.

Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany, and Holger Münch, President of the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation during the presentation of the Annual Report on Organized Crime in Germany 2023. Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany, and Holger Münch, President of the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation during the presentation of the Annual Report on Organized Crime in Germany in 2023.

Traffic in narcotic substances at the center of the work of the BKA

Organized drug-related crime remains one of the main concerns of the German authorities. About 40% of organized crime investigations for 2023 were related to the illegal trade in narcotics, said Holger Münch, director of the BKA.

The German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, praised the work of the authorities in detecting and cracking down on organized crime groups, underlining that the increase in the number of detected cases indicates the success of investigative bodies. Faeser emphasized the importance of cooperation at the international level, taking as a positive example the recent creation of a new alliance of ports.

Like David against Goliath

The BKA's 2023 report shows a continued high level of organized crime in Germany, with an ever-increasing number of investigations and suspects, as well as increasing economic damage caused by these criminal activities.

Representatives of the German police unions complain that the fight between the police and organized crime is not on the same level. According to them, German police authorities and Europol lack important powers to fight organized crime effectively. For example, to carry out investigations in other countries, the permission of the authorities of those countries is required, which represents a big problem in countries where the level of corruption is high.

The Vice President of the Police Union, Alexander Poitz, emphasized that international police cooperation should be intensified to face the growing threat of criminal groups, especially in areas such as drug trafficking and cybercrime. "Organized crime is becoming more and more brutal, and clashes between criminal groups are increasingly involving firearms and explosives, becoming a direct threat even to innocent people," Poitz said./ DW