INTERNATIONAL EFFECTS OF ALBANIAN ORGANIZED CRIME

This thesis investigates Albanian organized crime with a focus on the transnational crime of trafficking cannabis cultivated in Albania. It argues that the illicit cannabis market has flourished due to a difficult transition from communism to democracy, and efforts to combat the market, until recently, have been largely an afterthought by government officials. Additionally, organized crime has infiltrated portions of Albanian politics and its economy, which has had significant negative effects on Albania, its citizens, and its candidacy toward European Union (EU) membership. http://archive.org/details/internationaleff1094561277 Outstanding Thesis Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.