Strengthening the Intelligence Services in the New Albania: The Fight Against Crime and Foreign Influence
Flamur Buçpapaj
In recent decades, Albania has undergone profound political, economic, and social transformations. Nevertheless, organized crime, drug trafficking, corruption, and foreign influences—especially from Russia and Serbia—continue to pose serious threats to sovereignty, order, and national stability. This reality demands a deep and urgent reform of the intelligence services.
According to international reports, Albania remains a transit hub for drug trafficking to Europe and the United States. Operations coordinated with Europol and Eurojust have resulted in 59 to 66 arrests and the seizure of thousands of kilograms of drugs, as well as illegal assets worth millions of euros. This is only an indication of the strength and spread of criminal networks, which extend across multiple layers of society and state institutions.
The impact of these networks is not only economic. It penetrates the justice system and the police. SPAK has revealed cases where high-ranking police officials and prosecutors were arrested for drug trafficking and cooperation with criminal networks. Surveys show that 71% of citizens see organized crime as the country’s main problem, while 91% consider corruption a major issue. This clearly indicates that the challenge is not only legal but also social and political.
In the face of these threats, intelligence services must be modernized, equipped with advanced technology, and develop cyber-intelligence to identify criminal networks and foreign operations. A fruitful example to follow is the CIA model, which does not merely gather information but undertakes complex strategies for prevention, neutralization, and countermeasures. In the Balkans, the CIA has helped expose Russian and Serbian operations, coordinating actions with regional counterparts and actively preventing destabilization. This includes combating disinformation, infiltrations, and financial manipulations aimed at influencing domestic institutions.
International cooperation is key. Transnational operations by Europol and Eurojust show that intelligence collaboration can lead to massive arrests and significant seizures. Albania must leverage this model by integrating its intelligence services into international networks and using specialized units for counter-influence and counter-espionage.
Another valuable lesson from the CIA and Western agencies is institutional independence and clear executive competence. Service leaders should be selected based on professionalism, not politics, and have the authority to take preventive actions without interference. Only in this way can a clean, powerful, and reliable team be created, capable of combating organized crime and foreign influence effectively.
To better understand the challenge, here are some concrete figures:
In 2024, cooperation between Albania, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom led to 59 arrests and the seizure of over 1,300 kg of cocaine and tens of tons of hashish, dismantling transnational organized networks.
SPAK reported that in 2023, 12 high-ranking police officials and prosecutors were arrested for links to drug trafficking, a clear indication that corruption penetrates state institutions.
Similar cases have been recorded in Kosovo and North Macedonia, where joint operations with Europol and regional agencies led to the arrest of over 120 individuals involved in drug trafficking and money laundering, seizing millions of euros in illegal assets.
In comparison, the CIA and Europol use a similar approach but with a more advanced technological and international scope:
Europol’s “Silver Axe” operation (2023) against drug trafficking in the Balkans resulted in 66 arrests and the seizure of more than 1,500 kg of drugs, including coordination with regional intelligence services.
The CIA in the Balkans has identified and neutralized Russian and Serbian espionage networks, using technological intelligence and counter-influence strategies to prevent destabilization of institutions and manipulation of public opinion.
These data show that the successful model is cooperation, modernization, and proactive prevention. Albania must integrate its intelligence units into international networks, equip them with modern technology, and develop counter-influence and counter-espionage capabilities. Only in this way can a clean and strong team be created, capable of fighting organized crime and foreign influence, ensuring order, justice, and stability for citizens.
Albania faces multidimensional challenges that require a strategic, integrated, and modern response. Technological modernization, institutional autonomy, preventive countermeasures, international cooperation, and the protection of public opinion are the key pillars that must be strengthened. Lessons from the CIA and Europol show that only with such an approach can a strong intelligence service be built, protecting the country from crime, corruption, and foreign influence, while guaranteeing security, justice, and stability for all citizens.
Military Expert
Flamur Buçpapaj
