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RUSI welcomed Altin Dumani, the Head of Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK), for an expert roundtable on identifying key organised crime and corruption threats, as well as opportunities for cooperation between the UK and Albania to tackle these challenges.

Representatives from UK government agencies and academics participated in the roundtable, designed to facilitate inter-agency and cross-sector dialogue on countering organised crime and corruption.

Following opening remarks from Mr Dumani, Home Office Director General of Operations, Stuart Skeates and RUSI Associate Fellow Dr Andi Hoxhaj initiated a discussion on the key trends and organised crime challenges facing Albania and the UK.

The dialogue focused on the importance of improving joint understanding of the most significant threats. Participants highlighted the value of SPAK’s work to-date and explored opportunities for enhanced UK-Albanian coordination and support for the anti-corruption and organised crime agency.

Reflecting on the roundtable, Mr Dumani recently said:

SPAK is committed to strengthening UK-Albanian engagement on judicial and law enforcement cooperation and sees the partnership with the UK as vital in the fight against transnational organised crime and corruption. Given their complexity and transitional nature, neither SPAK nor one nation can effectively tackle organised crime, corruption, human trafficking, financial crime, or cybercrime alone. We value this opportunity to work with various stakeholders and it is essential that we continue the knowledge exchange between the UK and Albania so that we can jointly address these threats through mutual support and learning.

Altin Dumani, Head of Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure

RUSI Associate Fellow, Dr Andi Hoxhaj recently said:

We are grateful to Mr Dumani for sharing some of the challenges that SPAK faces in fighting transnational organised crime and corruption. Since the signing of the ‘UK-Albania Joint Communique’ in December 2022, SPAK has played a key role in building trust in judicial and law enforcement collaboration between the UK and Albania. Our roundtable’s discussion makes it clear that Albania cannot fight corruption and organised crime on its own due to the financial power and links that these networks possess. It will require more active participation from UK judicial and law enforcement institutions as well as organisations that are committed to fighting organised crime and corruption and upholding the rule of law.

Dr Andi Hoxhaj OBE

Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member – Researcher

This event was made possible thanks to the University College London, and generous funding from UCL Public Policy and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

About RUSI’s Organised Crime and Policing Research Group

RUSI’s Organised Crime and Policing research group aims to deliver high-quality and meaningful research, policy and capacity-building activities on crime, policing, and environmental and climate security, including where they intersect.

The Group’s work seeks to stimulate dialogue and support positive change in efforts by governments, civil society and the private sector to combat organised crime, corruption, police violence and environmental harms.

View the Organised Crime and Policing research programmes.