Italian Antimafia Chief: “Italian and Albanian cannabis traffickers have increased trade”

In an interview for Top Channel, Roberti said that everything was made wrong after the intervention in Lazarat. He underlined that the demand for drugs comes from Italy, but the Albanian crime is also ready to supply it.

The high official said their concern is that the drug money may be laundered and used for other purposes. The Italian Chief Prosecutor held this interview with Top Channel’s journalist Sokol Balla.

Sokol Balla: Mr.Prosecutor, what is the purpose of this visit to Albania?

Franco Roberti: We have noted that the traffic between Italy and Albania has increased. We wanted to understand with our Albanian colleagues the cause of this increase, and see what should be done more to fight this phenomenon.

Sokol Balla: Were you able to understand the cause? What will the two Prosecutions do about it?

Franco Roberti: There are many causes, starting from the increased demand from Italy. The Italian organized crime sees it as more profitable to have their plantations in other countries, rather than in Italy.

Certainly, Albanian criminality have responded by increasing their supply, creating this perverse connection that needs to be fought efficiently. We have verified that the best way is to organize joint investigations.

The fight against corruption is a fight against organized crime, because organized crime uses corruption, in Italy and in Albania as well, in order to infiltrate institutions, police and even courts in some cases.

Sokol Balla: I have a final question regarding marijuana. In 2004-2005, Italy insisted for eliminating the Lazarat problem. The current government resolved this issue in 2014. Again, Italy is saying there is more marijuana than before, five fold. Is there something that was not been done well after Lazarat?

Franco Roberti: More could have been done to continue the positive initiative for destroying cannabis plantations in Italy and Albania. In Italy it was done by colleague Nicola Gratteri, the Chief Prosecutor of Catanzaro, who investigates plantations. They even used drones to identify cultivation fields. The same thing should be done in Albania. This is the indication, to find plantations and destroy them.

Top Channel