UK to receive first share of criminal asset sales from Albania, as SPAK targets drug proceeds

For the first time, the United Kingdom will receive a direct share from the sale of criminal assets seized in Albania, marking a precedent in cross-border cooperation against organized crime. According to a statement from Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SPAK), the seized property belonged to an individual involved in drug trafficking in the UK.

Why is this important: This marks a turning point in international asset recovery. Criminals with links to Albania who launder profits through properties or assets in the country will no longer find it a safe haven. European governments are increasingly working with Albanian authorities to trace, seize, and repatriate illicit wealth—especially in cases involving transnational drug trafficking.

Context: SPAK confirmed that three properties—two immovable and one movable—linked to a convicted drug trafficker in the UK were seized, and one has already been confiscated. That property has since been rented out and then sold. Under an agreement reached with British authorities, the revenue from the rent and sale will be split equally between the UK and Albania.

“Fifty percent of the proceeds from the rent and sale of this confiscated property will go to the UK state budget, and the other 50% to Albania,” SPAK stated.

From 2020 to May 2025, Albania has seized 58 criminal assets and over €350,000 in cash on behalf of European states including the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. These are primarily linked to drug trafficking and money laundering networks operating across borders.

What’s next: Although the revenue-sharing model used with the UK may not automatically apply to other countries, SPAK indicated that each case will require bilateral agreement. Still, the precedent suggests growing international pressure—and capacity—for Albania to become an active player in dismantling transnational criminal finance structures.