Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has published its annual report, submitted to the Parliament and made public on its official website.
The report indicates that SPAK maintained its proactive approach to investigations, with 65 investigations initiated primarily in 2024. While there was a slight decrease (around 7.1%) in the interception of devices compared to 2023, there was a significant increase in requests for international legal assistance (45.8% for incoming requests and 34.7% for outgoing requests). SPAK interprets this trend as a sign of increased cooperation and trust from foreign law enforcement authorities.
SPAK also highlighted its achievements in combating organized crime, noting an 18.8% increase in registered criminal proceedings and a 21.6% increase in the number of individuals under investigation compared to 2023. However, the number of cases sent to trial decreased by approximately 7.3%, attributed to the volume and complexity of the cases.
Regarding the fight against corruption, SPAK reported actively investigating a considerable number of high-ranking officials. In 2024, 33 former high-ranking officials were under investigation (with two individuals involved in two separate proceedings each), and 19 of these cases were sent to court. This represents 52.9% of the total cases involving former high-ranking officials under investigation.
