Albanians are shifting from growing cannabis in-country, to cultivating it indoors in Western Europe, according to the Civil Society Observatory.
The report states that while Albania has favourable growing conditions, complemented by weak governance and corruption, robust police crackdowns since 2017 have just displaced it elsewhere. It notes that 2020 could see an increase in production due to the COVVID-19 lockdown.
In June 2020, police destroyd over 36,000 plants, more than twice the amount seized in the same month during June 2019.
Albania is still Europe’s biggest cannabis producer but many criminal groups are shifting their operations into Europe. This is due to higher demand and a perceived lesser risk. Police activities in the region show that Albanian criminals are investing in indoor cultivation in Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
While farming activities in the country seem to have droppd off, Albanians are still active elsewhere in growing the drug.
