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.

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The issue was discussed at the 17th meeting of the EU-Albania Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security, with European experts requiring detailed statistical reporting on assets seized and confiscated by the Special Anticorruption and Anticrime Prosecution Structure (SPAK), as well as on their management by the Agency for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK).

Participants said Brussels would closely monitor the process, describing it as a key element in assessing progress in strengthening the rule of law reforms.

EU experts also acknowledged Albania’s progress in aligning its legal framework with European Union standards and implementing relevant legislation. However, they stressed that the number of assets seized and confiscated from criminal activity, their effective management and their allocation for the benefit of the state would remain key indicators in measuring the country’s fulfilment of interim benchmarks and recommendations under Chapter 24 – Justice, Freedom and Security.

Cooperation between institutions, particularly between SPAK and AAPSK, was described as a positive development. According to European Commission experts, timely and effective coordination between the two bodies, as well as reported statistics on asset management, indicate the development of a stable relationship based on institutional trust that is expected to strengthen further with EU expertise.

The experts also welcomed the use of funds generated from the management of seized and confiscated assets to support law enforcement institutions. In particular, they highlighted financial support for SPAK, which increased in 2025, contributing to stronger capacity in the fight against corruption and organised crime.

The seizure, management and allocation of criminal assets remain a key tool for targeting the criminal economy and one of the main indicators of Albania’s progress in its European integration process.

Albanian institutions said they would continue to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation, increase transparency and improve the management of seized and confiscated assets in line with EU standards and best practices.

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This agreement aims to transform the confiscated assets into centers and social premises that promote children’s rights, provide services and opportunities for youth, as well as empower the community in the fight for a more just, equal and inclusive society.

The cooperation foresees the identification and making available of confiscated assets by AAPSK, while UNICEF Albania will provide international expertise, best practices and technical support to transform these assets into functional models that serve social development.

Chief Administrator of AAPSK Risena Xhaja emphasized the significance of this cooperation.

“Today, we take a big step forward in returning confiscated assets to tangible value for children, youth and the entire society. Through this partnership with UNICEF Albania, we not only give a new destination to these assets, but we build spaces where children and youth feel protected, included and empowered. This process is a concrete example of how justice can be transformed into an opportunity for the community”, said Xhaja.

For his part, the representative of UNICEF Albania Murat Sahin noted that this agreement is in line with UNICEF’s commitment to supporting children’s rights in Albania. /p.s./