C-CN5-00226: ALBANIAN CRIMINAL GROUPS IN AUSTRIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 002608

SIPDIS

NOFORN

STATE FOR INR/I, INR/EU, INL, EUR/PPG, EUR/AGS, AND EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2015

TAGS: PINR SNAR AU
SUBJECT: C-CN5-00226: ALBANIAN CRIMINAL GROUPS IN AUSTRIA

REF: STATE 81736

Classified By: ACTING ECONOMIC-POLITICAL COUNSELOR MICHAEL DE TAR

REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Below is Post's response to C-CN5-00226 on Albanian

organized crime.


2. (C) What is the nature and extent of Albanian organized

criminal activity in Austria?

-- Post's information on ethnic Albanian organized crime

elements operating in Austria derives largely from its

Austrian law enforcement contacts. According to these GoA

sources, organized criminal activity by ethnic Albanians is

increasing in Austria. In its 2004 annual report, the

Austrian Ministry of Interior's Criminal Intelligence Unit

reported that "Albania and Kosovo are gaining in importance

as depositories and as operations bases for shipments of

heroin to the EU." Austria is a transit country for drug

trafficking originating primarily along the historic Balkan

Route and, according to the Austrian Criminal Intelligence

Unit, organized criminal elements from Albania and Kosovo are

actively involved in heroin smuggling along this route.

-- According to information from the Austrian Federal

Criminal Investigation Service (Bundeskriminalamt or BKA),

Albanian drug traffickers are known to recruit ethnic

Albanians or Austrian citizens of Albanian descent living in

Austria to transport heroin and other illicit drugs though

Austria. The individuals recruited often have vehicles with

Austrian or EU license plates, which are usually not

scrutinized as intently by Austrian and EU border authorities

as vehicles with non-EU license plates. DEA Vienna's BKA

colleagues report that, as in other European countries,

ethnic Albanians in Austria often operate in a tightly knit

community and rely closely on relatives to staff command and

control operations within their criminal organizations. In

addition, BKA notes that ethnic Albanian and Turkish

narcotics traffickers often work closely together.

-- Note: Albania is not in the Embassy Vienna Legatt's area

of responsibility, and Albania only came under the area of

responsibility for the Department of Homeland Security office

at Embassy Vienna in May 2005. Embassy Vienna's Drug

Enforcement Agency office continues to have a strong and

active relationship with its Austrian counterparts, but only

a small fraction of DEA's joint cases with Austria in 2004

and 2005 involved ethnic Albanians.

-- In July 2005, Embassy Vienna's Legatt office hosted a one

day seminar for Austrian law enforcement officials in Vienna.

The theme of this year's seminar, at Austria's request, was

Albanian organized crime. Post's Legatt office brought in

FBI experts from the U.S. and Europe to discuss trends and

patterns in Albanian organized criminal activity in the

United States, including how these groups finance their

activities and launder money.


3. (U) Have there been any notable criminal cases in

Austria involving ethnic Albanian criminal elements?

-- In March 2005, Austrian police, in cooperation with Czech

and German law enforcement officials, detained two members of

a drug trafficking ring headed by an ethnic Albanian,

according to press reporting. The traffickers were involved

in transporting cocaine from the Netherlands to Austria and

the Czech Republic.

-- In October 2004, Austrian police in Salzburg disrupted a

Kosovo-based narcotics network, according to press reporting.

This resulted in 17 arrests and the confiscation of 170 kg

of heroin worth an estimated twelve million euros.

-- In June 2004, according to press, law enforcement

officials from Austria, DEA, and several other European

countries cooperated in a police investigation in which

Slovak authorities arrested an Albanian cocaine trafficker.

The trafficker was one of the main organizers of a network

that imported cocaine from South American into Slovakia.


4. (U) What is the nature and extent of Austrian and

Albanian Government cooperation on crime and crime-related

issues?

-- Austria is politically and economically active in Albania,

and continues to strengthen its bilateral ties to Albania.

In April 2005, Albanian Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami made

his first official visit to Austria and met with Austrian

Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. During the visit, Plassnik

stated in the press that Albania's future "lies within the

European Union." During their meeting, Plassnik also

stressed the need for further progress on implementing

reforms in Albania in order to establish the rule of law and

a "sound" judiciary system, and to fight organized crime and

corruption. Austria, through its leadership of the EU's

CARDS (Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development

and Stabilization) project in the judiciary sector, is also

providing assistance to Albania for training police in

criminal investigation procedures.

-- In June 2005, Austrian Interior Minister Liese Prokop met

with Albanian Interior Minister Igli Toska in Austria to

discuss the fight against illicit trafficking and organized

crime. The two ministers exchanged information on Albanian

organized crime groups operating illegally in Austria,

according to press reporting. The ministers also discussed

the possibility of setting up joint working groups and other

ways to increase cooperation in identifying and fighting

Albanian organized crime.

-- The Western Balkans and the fight against organized crime

and corruption will be key themes of the Austrian EU

Presidency from January to July 2006. Post will continue to

report on developments in these areas.

van Voorst