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5月12日，北马其顿的检察官指控该国前总理尼古拉·格鲁埃夫斯基洗钱。据称，他通过伯利兹将捐赠给他的政党的现金用于非法购买财产并隐瞒其所有权。他说，这个案件是出于政治动机。与此同时，在Jahorina这个颇受欢迎的波斯尼亚滑雪胜地，黑帮以及他们收买的官员们一直在投资酒店。各种各样的腐败现象随处可见。一位外籍人士在阿尔巴尼亚南部城市Vlora的家附近已经建了一半的公寓楼，他抱怨称，这栋楼已经停工，因为他拒绝通过行贿来获得必要的许可证。

Thepropertymarketmakesagoodplacetohideill-gottengains

OnMay12ThprosecutorsinNorthMacedoniachargedNikolaGruevski,thecountry’sformerprimeminister,withmoney-laundering.ItisallegedthathefunnelledcashdonatedtohispartythroughBelizetobuypropertyillegallyandconcealitsownership.Hesaysthecaseispoliticallymotivated.MeanwhileinJahorina,apopularBosnianskiresort,gangsters,plustheofficialstheyhavecorrupted,havebeeninvestinginhotels.Allkindsofcorruptionarerife.Anexpatriate,whohashalf-builtablockofflatsnearhishomeinVlorainsouthAlbania,railsthatbuildinghasstalledbecauseherefusestopaybribestosecurethenecessarypermits.

AcrosstheBalkansdirtymoneyisbeinglaunderedthroughproperty,distortingthemarketandinflatingprices—muchtotherageofordinaryhouse-hunters.SwankynewtowersarerisinginTirana,PristinaandBelgrade.AlthoughBalkaneconomieshavebeenhithardbycovid-19,propertypricesinpartsoftheregionhavedefiedgravity.InTiranatheyhavemorethandoubledsince.AcrossAlbania,thevalueofreal-estatetransactionsroseby6.7%in.

Thelaunderingofdrugmoney,especiallyfromcocainetrafficking,whichhasboomedinthepastfewyears,isonereasonwhypricesarerising,findsanewreportbytheGlobalInitiativeAgainstTransnationalOrganisedCrime,aninternationalnetworkofcrimespecialists.Anotheristhatcrookedofficialsneedtoinvesttheircash.AllBalkancountrieshavesoundmoney-launderinglaws,butenforcementispatchy.

InthepastdecadeBalkancrimesyndicateshaveoutgrowntheirsmallhomecountries.Theynowmakemuchoftheirmoneyabroad.Hence,saysthereport,aheftyshareoftheirprofitsisinvestedabroad,too.Buttheystillinvestathome.FatjonaMejdini,whohelpedresearchthereport,saysthatBalkangovernmentsareambivalentaboutmoney-laundering.Theywanttocrackdownonitbutsimultaneouslywel