TIRANA, June 9 /ATA/ Minister of Internal Affairs Besfort Lamallari participated in the official presentation of the SOCTA 2026, the strategic document that serves as the cornerstone for guiding Albania’s security priorities and anti-crime efforts.
In his remarks, Minister Lamallari emphasized that SOCTA 2026 represents the most comprehensive analysis of the threats posed by organized crime, helping law enforcement institutions to better understand criminal trends and build more effective responses to them.
“SOCTA is not just a report. It is the clearest picture of how crime is evolving, of the risks we face today and of the challenges we must address tomorrow,” Lamallari said.
According to the report’s findings, the organized crime groups remain the main threat to security, becoming increasingly flexible, sophisticated and more capable of exploiting technology, finance and international connections to carry out their criminal activities.
Drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering and illegal migration pose serious threats that require a continuous response and broad institutional cooperation.
The minister noted that the report also highlights the increasing importance of cybercrime, warning that attacks on digital systems, online fraud and the use of advanced technologies by criminal groups are creating new challenges for law enforcement institutions.
Another important element of SOCTA 2026 is the identification of environmental crimes as an emerging threat, which according to Lamallari shows that at present there is a broader concept of security directly related to the protection of natural resources, economic development and the well-being of citizens.
Speaking about the response of Albanian institutions to these challenges, the minister stressed that the fight against crime must increasingly rely on criminal intelligence, strategic analysis, information exchange and investments in technology and professional capacities.
“Criminality is evolving, forcing us to move beyond post-crime investigations and focus on predicting, preventing and stopping crimes in their earliest stages”, he declared. /k.s/j.p/p.s./
