The investigative show Në Shënjestër (On Target) has brought to attention the highlights and shadows of the administration of assets seized and confiscated from organized crime and corruption in Albania, a process that currently includes a portfolio of around 5 billion lek, or over 51 million euros.
According to official data, the Agency for the Administration of Sequestered and Confiscated Assets administers around 1,700 seized properties and 550 confiscated assets by the end of 2025. These include apartments, villas, agricultural land, tourist resorts, commercial units, luxury vehicles and bank accounts, whose income in the last year alone has generated around 1.3 million euros.
Some of these assets have been put to social use. Some properties confiscated from drug trafficking or high-level corruption have been transformed into shelters for victims of trafficking and violence, craft workshops for women in need, and social centers for young people in various cities across the country.
However, the management of these assets faces numerous challenges. Experts highlight the reluctance of citizens and businesses to purchase or rent property of criminal origin, due to fear of the reaction of former owners or criminal groups. There have also been cases where confiscated assets have ended up again, through third parties, in the hands of the same individuals who previously owned them.
Another problem is related to the degradation of properties during state administration, especially in the case of unfinished buildings or businesses that require professional management. For this reason, the auction process for some categories of assets has been suspended, pending legal improvements and stronger control mechanisms.
Legal experts underline the need for increased transparency, strengthening of financial investigation from the seizure phase, and the effective establishment of special structures to oversee the process, in accordance with European Union recommendations.
The administration of criminal assets is considered one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against organized crime and corruption. But the success of this process, experts emphasize, depends on strengthening the rule of law, institutional transparency, and ensuring that these assets are truly returned to the service of the public.
