TIRANA, Albania, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Albania opens a regional center against organized crime.
Albania opened an international center against organized crime and trafficking of drugs and human been across the Adriatic, built by the assistance of the US, Italy, Germany and Greece, media report on Tuesday
"This center will coordinate the efforts of the regional countries in order to fully destroy the organized crime in the region," said Ilir Meta, Albanian Prime Minister.
This international center against the organized crime and human been traffic was built in Vlora, a port on the Adriatic, and a town when this illegal traffic has flourished during the last years.
This is the first regional center against organized crimes in the Balkans.
Thousands illegal migrants from Albania, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and China crossed illegally the Adriatic starting from Vlora. Seven Kurdish people were sunk a few days ago in effort to go in Italy illegally.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the EU and the United States urged Albania Friday last week to step up its fight against organized crime if the country wants to join Euro-Atlantic structures.
"Albania will have to act much more vigorously against organized crime, trafficking of drugs, arms and human being and corruption," said Geert Ahrens, head of the OSCE mission in Albania.
The U.S. government has also urged Albania to fight organized crime.
"Albania needs to act much more vigorously against organized crime and trafficking," said U.S. Ambassador Joseph Limprecht, appealing to all political parties to take his anti-crime message seriously.
