The Council of Europe strengthened the capacities of Albanian authorities to address trade-based money laundering (TBML) through an inter-agency workshop held in Tirana on 28–29 May 2026.

As international trade remains one of the channels most vulnerable to the laundering of illicit proceeds, the detection and investigation of TBML schemes require specialised expertise and effective inter-agency co-operation. In response to these challenges, the Council of Europe organised a technical workshop bringing together representatives from the Special Prosecution Office, the National Bureau of Investigation, the State Police, Customs, the Tax Administration and the Financial Intelligence Agency.

The workshop covered key aspects related to TBML, including techniques and typologies, the use of financial intelligence, risk assessment methodologies, investigative tools and practices, legal and procedural dimensions of prosecution, as well as the identification, management and confiscation of criminal assets. Strengthening inter-agency co-operation was addressed as a cross-cutting priority throughout the sessions.

By enhancing the capacities of Albanian institutions to detect, investigate and prosecute TBML cases, the activity contributes to the effective implementation of international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards and supports a more co-ordinated national response to complex financial crime.

This activity was organised within the framework of the project Countering Money Laundering in Albania, co-financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.