DEA: Serbian BIA leader in region

A visiting U.S. DEA official says that Serbia's Security-Information Agency (BIA) is the region’s leader in fighting organized crime. Drug Enforcement Administration Regional Director for Europe and Africa Russell Benson met with BIA Director Sasa Vukadinovic in Belgrade, and both officials expressed their satisfaction over the successful completion of Operation Balkan Warrior. DEA: Serbian BIA leader in region The operation that saw cooperation from several countries netted 2.7 tons of cocaine intended to be smuggled from South America to Europe. According to a statement issued by BIA, the DEA official pointed out to the importance of the role the Serbian agency played in the case. Benson addressed a group of Serbia officials during the meeting, including Prosecutor for Organized Crime Miljko Radisavljevic. According to the statement, Benson pointed out that BIA had been a driving force of the operation, a reliable partner during the drug seizure, and that it was the region’s leader in fighting organized crime. After the drugs were seized in international waters of the Atlantic Ocean last fall, Serbia launched an investigation, and last week indicted a criminal group led by Darko Saric, who is currently a fugitive. "Singing praises not only reason for visit" Filip Svarm, one of the editors at Belgrade weekly Vreme, says he was not surprised by the visit, but adds that he does not believe that singing BIA's praises was the only reason behind it. “It's obvious that, beside Operation Balkan Warrior, there are some other actions that our security services are participating in, and aside from the protocol part, the visit was also a working one, but what has been said there, we can't find out,“ he said. “I'm not surprised by the praises directed at BIA, Balkan Warrior was a success, and a large amount of cocaine has been collected, BIA showed some results there. And that there is cooperation between our and American services, that's something that has been discussed for quite some time both by President Tadic and Interior Minister Dacic and many others who have been emphasizing all along that this partnership cooperation has been very successful. This is just another confirmation of what has been talked about here for a long time,” Svarm concluded.

DEA: Serbian BIA leader in region

The operation that saw cooperation from several countries netted 2.7 tons of cocaine intended to be smuggled from South America to Europe.

According to a statement issued by BIA, the DEA official pointed out to the importance of the role the Serbian agency played in the case.

Benson addressed a group of Serbia officials during the meeting, including Prosecutor for Organized Crime Miljko Radisavljević.

According to the statement, Benson pointed out that BIA had been a driving force of the operation, a reliable partner during the drug seizure, and that it was the region’s leader in fighting organized crime.

After the drugs were seized in international waters of the Atlantic Ocean last fall, Serbia launched an investigation, and last week indicted a criminal group led by Darko Šarić, who is currently a fugitive.

"Singing praises not only reason for visit"

Filip Švarm, one of the editors at Belgrade weekly Vreme, says he was not surprised by the visit, but adds that he does not believe that singing BIA's praises was the only reason behind it.

“It's obvious that, beside Operation Balkan Warrior, there are some other actions that our security services are participating in, and aside from the protocol part, the visit was also a working one, but what has been said there, we can't find out,“ he said.

“I'm not surprised by the praises directed at BIA, Balkan Warrior was a success, and a large amount of cocaine has been collected, BIA showed some results there. And that there is cooperation between our and American services, that's something that has been discussed for quite some time both by President Tadić and Interior Minister Dačić and many others who have been emphasizing all along that this partnership cooperation has been very successful. This is just another confirmation of what has been talked about here for a long time,” Švarm concluded.