In the nearly three decades since Albania emerged from the hermit-like isolation of its eccentric Communist dictator Enver Hoxha, the poor Balkan country of nearly 3 million people has gained an unfortunate reputation as one of Europe’s main centres of organised crime, drug, organ, and human trafficking, as well as narcotics production.

Over the last several years, the Albanian government has invested a lot of its political capital on trying to change the country’s image to the outside world...