President of the Republic, Ilir Meta has called on the justice system to react following the 2022 World Drug Report, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in which Albania is described as seventh in the world among the most mentioned countries for the origin, launch and transit of cannabis for the period 2016-2019.

On a social media statement, the Head of State pointed out that organized crime continues to be a serious threat to Albania's national security and underlined that political protection of criminal groups and their evasion of justice must end once and for all.

“Organized crime continues to be a serious threat to Albania's national security.

The State Police, the State Intelligence Service, the Prosecution and law enforcement agencies have not yet seriously focused on the fight against cannabis and drug trafficking, a condition for European integration.

The 2022 report of UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ranks our country, the world's leading cannabis grower, ranking seventh among the most mentioned countries for origin, departure and transit for the period 2016-2019, after Morocco, Afghanistan, Spain, the Netherlands, Pakistan and Lebanon.

Albania is also mentioned in the so-called Balkan route for heroin, which starts from Pakistan, passes through Syria, Turkey, Greece and ends in Western European countries.

Another report, published by the European Center for Drug Monitoring (EMCDDA) about a month ago, found that Albanian criminal groups, since 2017, have not only expanded, but also become more sophisticated, controlling both imports and distribution of cocaine from Latin American countries to European markets.

The political protection of criminal groups and their evasion of justice, the use of gangs in election campaigns and giving them as a "concession" to continue trafficking, which is seriously damaging the image of the country and has taken so many lives, must end once and for all.

All Albanians know criminal groups and their partners at the highest state levels.

Justice must react now", emphasized President Meta.