MUP report sees danger of terrorism

Internal Affairs Minister Dragan Jocic reported on the work of his ministry to the parliamentary security council yesterday. Jocic, reporting on the period in between June 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007, stressed the danger of the spilling over of terrorist activity from Kosovo to southern Serbia proper. MUP report sees danger of terrorism In addition, he is concerned with the demands of ethnic Albanian parties in the south, “educated by extremist parties from Kosovo,” for the demilitarization of the region and the removal of all police and army forces. The minister said that the state of security is directly tied to the question of Kosovo’s status, and that risks of security breaches exist. Jocic told the council that the police in the Presevo Valley region will continue its activities aimed to locate weapons which were buried by members of the disbanded Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja Liberation Army, UCPMB. He said that “the actions of Albanian terrorists in Macedonia, near Tetovo, are intensifying, in order to organize actions in Kosovo.” Jocic added that the situation in the Sandzak region is “very delicate” because of the recent conflicts within its Islamic community, reiterating that the ministry does not get involved in issues relating to religion. He also said that in the meantime, “new forms of terrorist activity which were being prepared in Sandzak” were uncovered and stopped, and stability was secured in the inter-ethnic relations, with protection of all minority communities ensured. New forms of terrorist activity perpetrated by the Wahhabis were uncovered in the region, while MUP's new anti-terror unit has done much to help uncovering of such groups, arresting 16 Wahhabis in the spring, and four more in September. Jocic also said that the ministry is participating in important activities investigating war crimes and searching for missing persons, and are working on various, important war crimes cases. He added that activities efforts have intensified in a bid to locate and arrest remaining Hague fugitives. Police has been able to get deeper into more serious forms of organized crime, especially financial crime and corruption, the minister explained. In the period between June 2006 and September 2007, there were 4,032 crimes with elements of corruption uncovered, he said, and gave special mention to the arrest of 17 professors in the Law University in Kragujevac, suspected of issuing false diplomas. Forty drug smuggling channels were cut off and 3.35 tons of narcotics were confiscated during the period in question, Jocic said, adding that in cooperation with other countries, 55 members of groups dealing with human trafficking were arrested, 12 of which in Serbia. Members of the council adopted the report with a majority vote, with members of the Serb Radical Party (SRS) exiting the meeting before the vote. The council in session (Beta)

MUP report sees danger of terrorism

In addition, he is concerned with the demands of ethnic Albanian parties in the south, “educated by extremist parties from Kosovo,” for the demilitarization of the region and the removal of all police and army forces.

The minister said that the state of security is directly tied to the question of Kosovo’s status, and that risks of security breaches exist.

Jočić told the council that the police in the Preševo Valley region will continue its activities aimed to locate weapons which were buried by members of the disbanded Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa Liberation Army, UCPMB.

He said that “the actions of Albanian terrorists in Macedonia, near Tetovo, are intensifying, in order to organize actions in Kosovo.”

Jočić added that the situation in the Sandžak region is “very delicate” because of the recent conflicts within its Islamic community, reiterating that the ministry does not get involved in issues relating to religion.

He also said that in the meantime, “new forms of terrorist activity which were being prepared in Sandžak” were uncovered and stopped, and stability was secured in the inter-ethnic relations, with protection of all minority communities ensured.

New forms of terrorist activity perpetrated by the Wahhabis were uncovered in the region, while MUP's new anti-terror unit has done much to help uncovering of such groups, arresting 16 Wahhabis in the spring, and four more in September.

Jočić also said that the ministry is participating in important activities investigating war crimes and searching for missing persons, and are working on various, important war crimes cases.

He added that activities efforts have intensified in a bid to locate and arrest remaining Hague fugitives.

Police has been able to get deeper into more serious forms of organized crime, especially financial crime and corruption, the minister explained.

In the period between June 2006 and September 2007, there were 4,032 crimes with elements of corruption uncovered, he said, and gave special mention to the arrest of 17 professors in the Law University in Kragujevac, suspected of issuing false diplomas.

Forty drug smuggling channels were cut off and 3.35 tons of narcotics were confiscated during the period in question, Jočić said, adding that in cooperation with other countries, 55 members of groups dealing with human trafficking were arrested, 12 of which in Serbia.

Members of the council adopted the report with a majority vote, with members of the Serb Radical Party (SRS) exiting the meeting before the vote.