OSCE presence in Albania organises workshop on illegal arms trade

On 3-4 September 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania organised a two-day workshop on illicit arms trafficking, which brought together members of the Human Trafficking Investigation Departments of the Albanian State Police (ASP) at both central and local levels, prosecutors from the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Special Anti-Corruption Bureau (SPAK) and investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

The Presence partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) to make the above opportunity possible.

Two experts from the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and three experts from the Dutch National Police with extensive experience in arms trafficking presented and shared the experiences, best practices and tangible case studies of their police forces. Through direct communication and open discussion, the experts created a platform for further close cooperation and joint investigations.

The event aimed to improve the investigative and analytical skills and methods of Albanian law enforcement agencies, in particular by obtaining high-quality and reliable information through special investigative techniques in the fight against arms trafficking.

The event was held as part of the OSCE Presence project “Supporting Albanian law enforcement agencies in effectively tackling serious and organised crime and enhancing regional cooperation V”, aimed at supporting and assisting Albanian law enforcement agencies in effectively combating national and transnational organised crime and serious crime in line with international best practices and enhancing cooperation with international and regional partners.