International Border Cooperation: Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime (Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia)

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

Location: 258B

Submitter(s)

KR

Kimberly S. Riffe

Law Enforcement Assistance Attache Kosovo
International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP)
Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Speaker(s)

Gazmend Hoxha

Colonel, General Director
Kosovo Police
Pristina, Berat, Albania
MR

Muhamet Rrumbullaku

General Director
Albania National Police
Tirana, Tirane, Albania
ST

Sasho Tasevski

General, Director
Public Security North Macedonia
Skopje, Berat, Albania

The Western Balkans is ripe with transnational organized crime activity, including terrorism, smuggling, illegal weapons, narcotics, and other endeavors that support criminal enterprises. The panelists will provide an international approach to combating the crimes through cooperation, communication, and sharing critical intelligence. Each country will present challenges and approaches to include specific attacks, strategies, and successful mitigation. The countries share borders that demand collaboration and use of innovative methods to counter crime. The smuggling of migrants, weapons, and illicit materials finance terrorism and criminal acts. Criminal organizations fund enterprises through smuggling, and, in one country, the smuggling of weapons and explosives led to the murder of a police officer.