UK and Albania sign landmark asset-sharing agreement

The United Kingdom and Albania have signed a landmark Asset Sharing Arrangement, marking the first agreement of its kind in the Western Balkans for sharing proceeds recovered from serious organized crime.

The agreement follows a concluded criminal prosecution involving a conspiracy to supply cannabis to organized crime groups in England and Wales. Through joint efforts by British and Albanian authorities, criminal proceeds were identified and recovered in Albania. The initial arrangement covers approximately £54,000 in recovered real estate assets, which will be divided equally (50/50) between the UK Government and Albania’s Agency for the Management of Seized and Confiscated Property (AAPSK).

The funds are intended to be reinvested for social good in both nations. The deal was formalized in a ceremony in Tirana, attended by British Ambassador Nicholas Abbott and AAPSK Chief Administrator Risena Xhaja. The arrangement is supported by several agencies, including the UK Home Office, the National Crime Agency (NCA), and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and aims to disrupt criminal business models by ensuring proceeds cannot be hidden within international networks.