Poverty has obliged a lot of girls from North Albania to enter the world of illegal trafficking by marriages for a better life. This is done through “illegal” forms of “matchmaking” including an organized agency network which promises the girls a “heavenly” life.

Not enough money or training - sure, these are some of the obstacles for doing investigative journalism in Albania. But there is another, even more worrying sign of why Albanians have not built strong investigative journalism in a sustainable way with the collapse of Communism: Albanians, including many in the country’s journalism community, have become increasingly cynical.

SAGEM, the French company, has won a bid to produce Albanian passports and ID cards, in a tendering marred by irregularities. Indeed, in the past four years, companies hired to consult the government organizing the bid and preparing its terms of reference had been changed four times. Last month, the terms of reference themselves were changed completely leaving many companies at a loss…

Cigarette smuggling along the Kosovo-Albania border is done both from Albania into Kosovo and from Kosovo into Albania. Smuggled cigarettes mostly travel from Montenegro into Kosovo and Albania. Police and prosecutors in the Peja region of western Kosovo say this traffic is handled by organized crime because the smuggled cigarettes are not prodiced in Montenegro, but in countries like Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and others…

This has been going on for a while. Given the reputation of the north of the country for wild laws, some people who leave Albania illegally as emigrants apply for political asylum in the West citing the unofficial vendetta rules as a reason. The proof they offer: articles printed in Albanian media. What is not that clear is that this is suspected to have turned into a system, where the interested emigrant pays the editor of small papers, a conflict is invented, and this stands in Western...

Illegal fishing of carps and catfishes only in Dojran and Prespa Lakes (Macedonia) is exciding 50 tons yearly. An uncontrolled and unsustainable use of natural resources is taking place in the Western Balkans. Trough their research conducted in Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro, a group of reporters try to figure out where and how these illegal activates are conducted and by whom.

Macedonia overweighed by illegal weaponry, and Kalashnikovs are being sold in half of the state. While the police claim the arm business does not pay off, dealers trade in Sipkovica, Aracinovo, Slupcane, Lipkovo and Skopje.

Albanian Scoop-suported reporter, Besar Likmeta recieves the CEI/SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism.

Scoop states support for Kosovo journalist Jeta Xharra, and her colleagues, victims of a dirty smearing campaign and right now threatened by government-supported media because of her and her team’s continuing struggle against corruption and crime in their home country.

The Kosovo Liberation Army maintained a network of prisons in their bases in Albania and Kosovo during and after the conflict of 1999, eyewitnesses allege. Only now are the details of what occurred there emerging: dozens of civilians, mainly Kosovo Albanians suspected of collaboration, but also Serbs and Roma captive there, beaten and tortured. Some were killed, their remains never recovered.

The management of Scoop has sent a letter of protest to the Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, in order to show our support with Albanian editor Besar Likmeta who got brutally attacked by Member of the Albanian Parliament Tom Doshi during an interview earlier this month. Prior to the interview Besar Likmeta had revealed that Tom Doshi's university degree was fake, and the interview was a possibility for the MP to explain himself.

The smuggling of hormone-bred calves from Macedonia to Albania has increased significantly, while authorities in each country have not been able to prevent this invasion of artificially-grown cattle which can pose health risks.

Published at Koha daily Skopje, on 17 July 2007, and at Shekulli, Tirana, on 22 July 2007.

Government institutions are not passing a law on food, but that leaves bakers and other food producers not worried. They continue to use additives the way they want, which may cause harm to the health of the population.

Made by Besa Bytyqi and Faik Hoti, published in Zeri daily in Kosovo on 13 August 2007

Behind a hidden identity

Homosexuals of Kosovo are discriminated severely. They keep their identities secret, counting the risks that may face them, a fact admitted by the human rights organizations. Psychologists, socialogists and psychiatrists say that the conservative society would not bear change of gender roles. Police is trying to defend them, but the government has not made a serious attempt to improve their situation.

Scoop-journalists Saturday received a global award for their investigations into the energy supplies in the Balkans. At Award dinner for The Global Shining Light Award, which was handed over during the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Toronto, the journalists were praised for their courage.

A team of journalists funded by Scoop and others have won the first Global Shining Light award, which will be presented at the Global Journalism Conference in Toronto/Canada May 26th 2007.

Power brokers looks at electricity trading issues in the Balkans at a time when more and more people get disconnected from the power lines in the region. The work was conducted by a team of journalists covering Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania.

The so far largest transnational investigation supported by Scoop has recently been finalised. Power-brokers the working-title of the story, the team of journalists covered Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania.