Europe got Albanian problem

According to police statement they arrested the alleged members of a criminal ring that smuggled people abroad and prepared fake documentation for them.

Police arrested five Albanians in the capital, Tirana, and two other towns, a statement reports.

They also sequestered equipment used to produce false documents, a considerable number of fake passports, vehicles and mobile telephones.

The investigation began after the group was allegedly linked with another one that was arrested in October.

Albania has become a popular transit point for smugglers bringing people into the European Union, due to its lax border controls, weak judiciary and corruption in its police force.

Smugglers also traffic Albanians, among Europe's poorest people, who try to find a better life in the West.

The international community has told Albania it must curb human trafficking if it wants to join the European Union and NATO, the AP reports.

V.Y.