TIRANA, August 26 /ATA/ Albania and UK have signed a regional-first Asset Sharing Agreement after recovering funds from a major drug conspiracy case in England and Wales.
According to the agreement, the two countries will split the recovered crime money equally. This proves that both countries work together to stop cross-border crime. The seized funds will now be used to help the public in both nations.
The arrangement was approved in a formal ceremony in Tirana on 13 July 2026, attended by Nicholas Abbott, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Albania, alongside Risena Xhaja, chief administrator of Albania’s Agency for the Management of Seized and Confiscated Property (AAPSK). It is the result of months of close collaboration between UK and Albanian law enforcement and judiciary, supported by the Home Office, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution.
Serious organized crime remains a major threat to the UK and Albania. Criminal networks exploit weak borders and launder money using cash, informal transfers, and cryptocurrency. To fight this, both governments are working together to disrupt these groups and seize their illegal profits.
Albania’s Agency for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK) has greatly increased its recovery of criminal money over the last two years. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, authorities seized more than €58 million in assets. This included over 1,000 real estate confiscations, showing how often criminals use property to hide illegal wealth. /m.q/j.p/p.s./
