Criminal activities through the Balkan Route: Can they be prevented?

The paper gives a theoretical explanation and empirical overview of the criminal activities in the Balkan countries within the "Balkan Route" as a passage along which illegal goods and immigrants are smuggled into Western Europe. The main part of the paper will talk about the types of criminal activities which take place in this corridor (especially the three main sectors of organized crime activities – trafficking in drugs, human beings, and weapons), their causes and explanation of their harmful consequences to the security and stability of the Balkan countries. The negative consequences arising from the security-political situation, complemented by the refugee crisis in the Balkans, which highly depend on the geo-strategic position of the Balkan countries, often referred to as a destroyer of the equilibrium factor for security in this region. A qualitative approach will be used in this paper, using analysis of the current scientific literature, academic publications and scientific papers which are dealing with detecting, identifying, researching and preventing the illegal activities in the Balkan Route, as well as assessments of some international organizations about the numbers of crimes and perpetrators in this corridor. The practical aim of the paper is to enable the way of eradicating crime by international security cooperation among all transit countries in the "Balkan Route". The conclusions that would arise should contribute to creating and updating the national strategies and optimal measures in identifying and detecting the activities related to illegal trafficking, organized crime and terrorism by the law enforcement agencies

SITUATION AND TRENDS OF TERRORIST ACTS WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The main subject of interest of this paper is the current situation and the trend of international terrorism in the European Union explained thorough security analysis of the committed terrorist attacks and their influence on the European security and stability. Also, it will be shown the measures and the activities of the anti and contrary terroristic fight against the risks and the threats from terrorism as a result of the recent terroristic attacks. Even though on the international level there isn’t a common definition of terrorism as a criminal act, the European Union and the Council of Europe through their most important documents set the concept for terrorism which has helped in the process of creating national security systems for the fight against the terrorism. This paper will go through the circumstances of terrorist attacks (failed, foiled, and completed) in the European Union Member States, as well as the conditions of the criminal acts through analysis of the statistical data about the court proceedings and the verdicts

Cryptocurrency Abuse for the Purposes of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing: Policies and Practical Aspects in the European Union and North Macedonia

The number of countries that express concern for the danger of using cryptocurrencies for illegal activities among which are money laundering and terrorism financing is increasing. Cryptocurrencies are virtual assets created and managed through advanced computer encryption and operate on a decentralized network known as a blockchain. The key issue of concern and attention in the world is the anonymity and pseudonymity of cryptocurrencies, which prevents proper monitoring of transactions by state institutions and allows the completion of suspicious transactions outside the regulated systems. The paper provides an overview and presentation of the existing European legal framework and the measures and activities undertaken by the Republic of North Macedonia, harmonized with the European ones, in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing in the crypto sector

Criminalistics and operative aspects of the attacks on the cash in transit vehicles in the Republic of Macedonia

Cash in transit is a term used to describe the banknotes in the process of transfer from one location to another. During this process, a whole array of risks, threats, dangers and vulnerabilities arise. As much as the value of the assets is greater, the more the transport is the tempting target of attack by criminal, primarily, bandit groups. Cash in transit vehicles attacks are criminal activities that are carried out for the purpose of acquiring illegal property and they contain elements of violence, brutality and aggression. From a criminal and legal point of view, cash in transit vehicles attacks are classifed as crimes against property, or rather as criminal offenses of robbery. Studying the circumstances of the crime through the chronological and logical connection of the discovered facts provides an opportunity for understanding the crime, i.e. to create a criminalistics version of the events, on the basis of which the further operational procedures of criminal prosecution authorities will be based. The general goal of this paper is a criminal and operational analysis of the cash in transit vehicles attacks, which should contribute to recognizing the shortcomings, defciencies and weaknesses in the manner of securing, as well as the ways of their detection, clarifcation and proving by the criminal prosecution authorities.The paper will present the results of the researched criminological, victimological and criminal-operational aspects of the cash in transit vehicles attacks in the Republic of Macedonia in the period from 2005 to 2016. In this regard, in order to review the criminaloperational acting after detection of the committed attack on a cash in transit vehicle, an analysis of a specifc individual case will be made by describing the situation that had previously passed, the criminal situation, the measures and activities undertaken for its clarifcation and the consequences that arose from it.Through the security analysis applied in the paper, the basis for improvement and the creation of more efcient and effective ways of planning and performing of the cash in transit and other valuable goods should be created

Analysis of Road Traffic Safety through Direct Relative Indicators for Traffic Accidents Fatality: Case of Republic of Macedonia

In the absence of a detailed profile and assessment of the road traffic safety situation in the Republic of Macedonia, the paper will show the analysis by calculating and comparing the direct relative indicators for deaths from traffic accidents in relation to the total population (public risk), the total number of vehicles (traffic risk) and the total number of passenger-kilometres (dynamic traffic risk). Their established trends in the period 2005-2014 will also be shown and then compared with the levels in other European countries. Within the risks, there is additionally the risk of suffering that takes into account the consequences of accidents to people (human losses, heavy and light bodily injuries), which will be calculated and analysed for the area covered by the eight Sectors for Internal Affairs (SIA) in the Republic of Macedonia. For this purpose maps of the public risk of suffering from accidents on the roads will be made, which will closely show the traffic safety situation in the country. The diagnosing of the traffic safety situation will contribute to the creation of new measures and activities or improving the existing ones by the competent authorities in order to promote the road traffic safety.</p

CA21133 - Globalization, Illicit Trade, Sustainability and Security (GLITSS)

Illicit trade affects all aspects of contemporary societies. By definition, the term “illicit” signals practices that are not permitted by law or disapproved of by society. It enables security threats to materialise, such as natural-resource-fuelled conflicts and terrorism. It presents safety hazards, such as those created by counterfeit medicines and drugs. It threatens the sustainability of our societies by consuming excessive planetary resources and undermining the regulated functioning of international markets. Yet, despite this obvious objective relevance, the discussion on illicit trade remains compartmentalized within disciplinary boundaries. It requires an interdisciplinary approach instead. The Globalization, Illicit Trade, Sustainability and Security (GLITSS) COST Action contributes to filling a research gap. Three working groups are established, focusing on the phenomena of illicit trade (the smuggling and trafficking of goods and money), the platforms behind it (norms, actors and regulations) and the responses to it (enforcement, alternative measures and legalisation). GLITSS creates an interdisciplinary research network characterised by the inclusiveness and epistemological diversity that defines the research field today. The objectives of the actions are to create a holistic research agenda on illicit trade practices, to increase public awareness with a view to enhancing societal resilience, and to explore how technological innovation facilitates illicit trade but can also be used to fight it. Governmental agencies, civil organizations, and academics will benefit from a Europe-wide discussion on illicit trade. Ultimately, GLITSS will advise stakeholders on how to create a more resilient and sustainable society by identifying, understanding, and countering illicit trade

Republika Makedonija kot tranzitna država za nezakonito trgovanje po “balkanski poti”

Purpose: This study aims to give an empirical overview of the illegal trafficking with human beings, drugs and weapons in the Republic of Macedonia and its involvement in the transnational crime within the “Balkan Route”. Design/Methods/Approach: A qualitative-quantitative approach will be used, using analysis of the current scientific literature, academic publications and scientific papers from this area, and statistical methods using statistical analysis and interpretations of data on committed crimes and the perpetrators of illegal trafficking (with national and international elements). Findings: The scope and structure of this crime in the Republic of Macedonia and its international character will be seen through empirical data and discussions. Research limitations / implications: Difficulties in the study of the transit position of the Republic of Macedonia within the “Balkan Route” especially in terms of illegal trafficking, are related to limitations in revealing the dark figure in this type of crime. Our research is largely based on existing scientific expertise and expert estimates and prognosis. Practical implications: The practical aim here is to enable the prevention of the transnational illegal trafficking in the Republic of Macedonia as a transit country and its exclusion from the “Balkan Route”. Originality/Value: The conclusions which arise from this study should contribute to creating and updating of the national strategy and optimal measures in combating trafficking in Macedonia by law enforcement agencies, thereby preventing the transit of criminality from the Middle East, through Macedonian territory into the Western countries.Namen prispevka: Namen prispevka je podati empirični pregled nezakonitega trgovanja z ljudmi, drogami in orožjem v Republiki Makedoniji in njeno vključenost v transnacionalno kriminaliteto znotraj “balkanske poti”. Metode: Uporabili smo kvalitativno-kvantitativni pristop – analize trenutne znanstvene literature, akademskih objav in znanstvenih prispevkov s tega področja ter statistične analize in interpretacije podatkov storjenih kaznivih dejanj in storilcev nezakonitega trgovanja (z narodnimi in mednarodnimi elementi). Ugotovitve: Skozi empirične podatke in razpravo smo prikazali področje in strukturo tovrstne kriminalitete v Republiki Makedoniji ter njeno mednarodno vpetost. Omejitve/uporabnost raziskave Težave tranzicijskega umeščanja Republike Makedonije znotraj “balkanske poti” v zvezi z nezakonitim trgovanjem so povezane predvsem z omejitvami razkrivanja temne plati tovrstne kriminalitete. Raziskava se v večji meri naslanja na obstoječe znanstvene ugotovitve in ocene ter napovedi strokovnjakov. Praktična uporabnost: Praktični cilj je omogočiti preprečitev transnacionalnega nezakonitega trgovanja v Republiki Makedoniji kot tranzitni državi in njeno izključitev iz “balkanske poti”. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Zaključki, ki izhajajo iz te študije, naj bi pripomogli k izoblikovanju in posodobitvi nacionalne strategije in optimalnih meril v boju zoper trgovanja z blagom v Makedoniji, s čimer naj bi preprečevali tranzit kriminalitete s Srednjega Vzhoda preko makedonskega ozemlja v zahodne države

Brezpilotni letalniki kot orožje – grožnja od zgoraj, uporabljena v teroristične namene

Purpose: The subject of this paper is to determine the threat of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles – UAVs), which are evolving rapidly and becoming more efficient, powerful, and easily weaponised, with regard to their use by terrorist organisations. Because of the precision, efficiency, and economy of drones, in the last decade terrorist organisations have used these to carry out attacks all over the world. The paper discusses the prevention and the countermeasures undertaken by national authorities, as well as the development of defensive tactics against drone strikes. The paper notes that the threat posed drones is even greater than many imagine, as they can be used to attack critical infrastructure. Design/Methods/Approach: The tactical ways in which terrorist organisations have made malicious use of drones are considered and described in the paper. In order to better understand the core of this problem, the methods and techniques of attack, the characteristics of the drones and the measures taken by the security and intelligence services in the fight against this threat are reviewed and assessed. All these questions were also addressed by theorists researching this field in semi-structured interviews conducted online. Findings: Because of the rapid development of the technology and progress in the area of drone production, as well as their low price and the availability, drones can be easily transformed into improvised explosive devices that are attractive to many terrorist organisations and individuals, producing a new type of asymmetrical threat. The threat coming from air that is posed by drones is very sophisticated and complex, and deserves more attention from national security authorities. Moreover, the development and introduction of protective and preventive approaches and mechanisms on an international level, and full implementation on a national level, is essential to prevent planned attacks with drones. Originality/Value: This topic is rarely discussed in security research and studies. The paper offers a solid overview of the problems and threats that drones are already causing to law enforcement agencies, and the challenges for national authorities with regard to preventing them.Namen tega prispevka je ugotavljanje nevarnosti brezpilotnih letalnikov (dronov), ki se hitro razvijajo in postajajo učinkovitejši, zmogljivejši in jih je enostavno oborožiti, glede na njihovo uporabo terorističnih organizacij. Zaradi natančnosti, učinkovitosti in ekonomičnosti brezpilotnih letalnikov so jih teroristične organizacije v zadnjem desetletju uporabljale za izvajanje napadov po vsem svetu. Prispevek obravnava preprečevanje in protiukrepe, ki jih izvajajo nacionalni organi ter razvoj obrambnih taktik proti napadom z brezpilotnimi letalniki. Avtorji ugotavljajo, da je grožnja napadov z brezpilotnimi letalniki celo večja, kot si mnogi predstavljajo, saj jih je mogoče uporabiti za napad na kritično infrastrukturo. Metode V prispevku so obravnavani in opisani taktični načini zlonamerne uporabe brezpilotnih letalnikov, ki so jo uporabljale teroristične organizacije. Za boljše razumevanje bistva tega problema so predstavljene in ocenjene metode in tehnike napada, značilnosti brezpilotnih letalnikov ter ukrepi varnostnih in obveščevalnih služb v boju proti tej grožnji. Vsa ta vprašanja so avtorji naslovili tudi v polstrukturiranih intervjujih, opravljenih preko spleta. Ugotovitve Zaradi hitrega razvoja tehnologije in napredka na področju proizvodnje dronov ter njihove nizke cene in razpoložljivosti se ti zlahka spremenijo v improvizirane eksplozivne naprave, ki so privlačne za številne teroristične organizacije in posameznike, pri čemer nastane nov tip asimetrične grožnje. Grožnja iz zraka, ki jo predstavljajo brezpilotni letalniki, je zelo prefinjena in kompleksna ter si zasluži več pozornosti nacionalnih varnostnih organov. Poleg tega je razvoj in uvedba zaščitnih ter preventivnih pristopov in mehanizmov na mednarodni ravni ter njihova popolna implementacija na nacionalni ravni bistvenega pomena za preprečevanje načrtovanih napadov z brezpilotnimi letalniki. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka O tej temi se v raziskavah in študijah s področja varnosti redko razpravlja. Prispevek ponuja dober pregled težav in groženj, ki jih brezpilotni letalniki že povzročajo organom pregona, ter izzivov za nacionalne organe pri njihovem preprečevanju