TIRANA, Sept. 22 /ATA/ – The Agency for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK) currently manages more than 35 billion leks worth of seized and confiscated property, with 1,175 seizures and 84 confiscations recorded so far in 2026, its chief administrator said on Tuesday.
Risena Xhaja presented the figures at a conference in Tirana organised by the European Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), titled “Building International Partnerships – Combating Organized Crime for a Safer Environment”.
In a presentation entitled “From Confiscation to Public Good”, Xhaja said AAPSK currently manages 2,682 seized assets worth around 28.5 billion leks and 516 confiscated assets valued at about 6.8 billion leks.
She said confiscation should not be viewed as the end of efforts to target criminal wealth, but as the point when the state assumes responsibility for preserving the economic value of those assets and putting them to public use.
Revenue from managing the assets has also increased, with rental income reaching around 160 million leks in 2024, 221 million leks in 2025 and about 180 million leks in the first eight months of 2026.
AAPSK also aims to return confiscated assets and funds to institutions and communities, particularly groups directly affected by crime. Through a special fund, state institutions and 22 organisations have received support this year for projects worth 150,000 euros focused on trafficking victims, crime and drug-use prevention, domestic violence, school violence and bullying.
Under its 2025-2030 strategy, the agency aims to direct at least 50% of confiscated assets towards reuse, including social reuse.
She said confiscated property could be converted into service centres, vehicles transferred to law-enforcement institutions, and income generated from assets used to support victims and vulnerable communities.
The conference also addressed the increasingly international nature of criminal assets, including the growing use of virtual assets and cryptocurrencies.
Since 2025, AAPSK has strengthened cooperation with counterpart agencies in Italy, France, Britain, Spain, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Ukraine. Xhaja highlighted a recently signed agreement with Britain and said U.S. expertise and support could further strengthen the agency’s capabilities.
/e.xh/j.p/u.sh/
