SECI Center: A Powerful Regional Tool for Combating Organized Crime

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SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN COOPERATIVE INITIATIVERegional
Center for Combating Transborder Crime

• SECI Center A Powerful Regional Tool for
  Combating Organized Crime
• International Conference The Contribution of
  Data Exchange Systems to the Fight against
  Organized Crime in the SEE Countries An
  Assessment
• Torino, 15th of November, 2004

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History

• In April 1998, at the meeting in Geneva, the
  SECI Agenda Committee adopted a Romanian proposal
  for establishment of the Regional Center in
  Bucharest
• First negotiation meeting among the member
  countries in May, 1998 - representatives from
  customs and police
• On May, 26, 1999 signing the Agreement on
  Cooperation to Prevent and Combat Trans-border
  crime
• June 1999 - October 2000 - process of
  ratification of the Agreement
• November 2000 - official nomination of the Center
  as an International legal entity

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12 Member countries
Albania Bosnia Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Greece
Hungary Moldova FYRO Macedonia Romania Serbia
Montenegro Slovenia Turkey
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Observers to SECI Center

• Countries
• Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, France,
  Georgia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands,
  Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United
  States of America
• International Institutions
• International Organization for Migration (IOM),
  European Institute for Law Enforcement
  Cooperation (EULEC), International Center for
  Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the United
  Nations Police Mission in Kosovo (UNMiK), the
  Stability Pact Organized Crime Secretariat
  (SPOC).

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International Partnerships

• Memoranda of Understanding signed with
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• European Institute for Law Enforcement
  Cooperation (EULEC)
• International Center for Migration Policy
  Development (ICMPD)
• Stability Pact SPOC Secretariat
• Agreement with Central European Initiative
  (CEI)
• Agreement on Communication connectivity for
  exchange of information with INTERPOL
• Agreement on Cooperation with South Eastern
  Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small
  Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC)

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Permanent advisors

• ICPO INTERPOL for Police-related matters
• World Customs Organization for Customs related
  issues

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Liaison officers

• Liaison officers core elements for
  accomplishing our tasks
• Seconded by the member states
• Current number of Liaison Officers is 19 (10
  police and 9 customs)
• Our goal all 24 positions filled in

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INFORMATON EXCHANGE
TF Field 2003 2004 Comparison
Trafficking in Human Beings 137 143 ? 4
Anti-Drug 44 48 ? 9
Anti-Fraud and Anti-Smuggling 134 146 ? 8
Financial and Computer Crime 16 31 ? 93
Stolen Vehicles 22 36 ? 63
Anti-Terrorism 1 16 ?
Small Arms and Light Weapons 5 5
Weapons of Mass Destruction 0 1 ?
Other 79 89 ? 12
TOTAL 438 515 ? 17
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National Focal Points
NFP Albania
NFP Serbia Montenegro
NFP Turkey
NFP Slovenia
NFP Bosnia Herzegovina
SECI Regional Center
NFP Romania
NFP Bulgaria
NFP Croatia
NFP FYR Macedonia
NFP Greece
NFP Hungary
NFP Moldova
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Task Forces

• TF on Combating Trafficking in Human
  Beings and Illegal Migration
• TF on Combating Trafficking in Drugs
• TF on Combating Financial and Computer Crime
• Anti-Fraud Anti-Smuggling TF
• TF on Stolen Vehicles
• Anti-Terrorism TF
• SALW
• WMD
• Terrorist Groups

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The THB Task Force

• Established in 2000
• Coordinated by Romania
• Active cooperation with U.S. Agencies, such as
  FBI, Department of Homeland Security, as well as
  international organizations and institutions the
  International Organization for Migration (IOM),
  he International Center for Migration Policy
  Development, OSCE, INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the
  Stability Pact Task Force of Trafficking in Human
  Beings

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MIRAGE 2003
Indicators Results
- requests initiated victims identified victims assisted -victims repatriated -traffickers identified -traffickers charged 92 463 70 62 595 207
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MIRAGE 2004
Indicators Results
- requests initiated - investigators exchanged - victims identified - victims assisted - victims repatriated - traffickers identified - traffickers charged 120 2 601 98 138 545 302
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Movements of witnesses

• One successful case of cooperation with Bosnia
  Herzegovina
• The case involved two Romanian witnesses who
  testified in front of international prosecutor
• SECI Center provided transportation and
  protection for one witness
• First time when a witness travelled from abroad
  and testified during a trial in Bosnia and
  Herzegovina
• Trafficker sentenced to 9 years in prison

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Containment 2002 Seizures
Drug Type Quantity
Heroin 584 kg
Marijuana 1829 kg
Amphetamines 250,000 tablets
Hashish 13 kilograms
Cocaine 2 kilograms
Opium 3,3 kilograms
Precursors (Toluol) 1574 metric tons
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Containment 2003 Seizures
Drug Type Quantity
Heroin 124 kg
Marijuana 188.9 kg
Amphetamines 63 kg
Cocaine 0.6 kg
Opium 18 kg
MDMA 6,838 tablets
Sedatives 1,800 ampoules
Steroids 2,566 dosages
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SAFE HEAVEN 2004 SEIZURES
Drug Type Quantity
Heroin 18,6 kg
Cocaine 25.2 kg
Hashish 3.4 gr
Marijuana 1.7 gr
Herbal cannabis 32 gr
Pseudoephedrine 3 kg
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ROAD SHOW 2003
Vehicles seized Investigations initiated Offenders identified Offenders arrested Value of vehicles seized (Euro)
108 104 70 7 891,5
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The Anti-Terrorism Task Force

• established in 2003
• It includes three sub-projects
• TF on Small Arms an Light Weapons (SALW)
• TF on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMS)
• TF on Anti-Terrorism
• which are led by Albania, Romania and Turkey,
  respectively

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Cooperation with Judicial Authorities

• Cooperation between law enforcement and judicial
  authorities essential for an efficient fight
  against transborder crime
• South East European Prosecutors Advisory Group
  (SEEPAG) established in 2003
• Working groups to be set up in the near future in
  order to implement better legal solutions

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Sharing our experience

• 2003 assistance program to the GUUAM project,
  based on the USA proposal
• SECI Center provided technical assistance and
  expertise for the future establishment of the
  GUUAM Virtual Center (Georgia, Ukraine,
  Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova)

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European Commission assessment

• Proposal submitted by European Commission
  assessment of the SECI Center current and
  potential greater regional role in the region
• May 4-6, 2004 EC delegation visited the Center
• Delegation held successive meetings with
  Management and LOs, to learn more about the goals
  and operational activities of the Center, the IT
  infrastructure and data protection issues

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European Commission assessment (II)

• During the 19th meeting of the Joint Cooperation
  Committee, the SECI Center adopted a resolution
  for implementing the recommendations expressed by
  the EC assessment report
• European Union will provide support to develop
  short, medium and long term measures within the
  activities of the SECI Center

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SECI REGIONAL CENTER FOR COMBATING TRANSBORDER
CRIME

• SECI Regional Center an efficient tool, having
  the experience and operational means to
  contribute to the prevention of regional and
  global transborder crimes
• Ultimate goal create an active and sustainable
  partnership with all related actors, by
  increasing regional and international
  cooperation, in order to provide a safer
  environment
• For further information, please visit
  www.secicenter.org