British law enforcement agencies are deeply concerned about the presence of at least 1,700 serious organized criminals from Albania currently at large in the country. This alarming figure

includes individuals involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, fraudulent activities, and sex trafficking operations.

Efforts by the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have been initiated to acquire records of each suspect from Albanian authorities, aiming to bring these individuals to justice. These criminals are believed to have entered the UK through illegal means, such as small boats and lorries.

In a recent meeting between Home Secretary James Cleverly and Albanian Interior Minister Taulant Balla, discussions centered on addressing illegal immigration and combating serious organized crime. The meeting shed light on the collaborative efforts between the UK and Albania to tackle issues of illicit finance, corruption, narcotics, and organized immigration crime.

An insider revealed that UK law enforcement had swiftly requested records on the 1,700 Albanian migrants suspected of being involved in serious organized crime. In response, Albanian authorities promptly supplied the requested data. Furthermore, the Albanian police have sought information on their nationals convicted of crimes in the UK, aiming to seize unlawfully acquired assets like property, cash, jewelry, and vehicles in Albania.

The concerns escalate given recent convictions, such as that of Denis Xhelili, a 38-year-old Albanian migrant sentenced to ten years in prison for orchestrating the importation of substantial quantities of cocaine and heroin into the UK.

The Home Office emphasized the joint determination of the UK and Albania to target various criminal activities, including illicit finance, corruption, drug-related offenses, and organized immigration crime. Photo by Philafrenzy, Wikimedia commons.