Crime in Serbia

Crime in Serbia is combated by the Serbian Police and other agencies.

Priority areas of law enforcement

Serbian law enforcement authorities have prioritised fighting drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime during the late 2000s.^[1]

The Kosovo province is a hotbed for crime due to lack of police control and criminal domination of the streets. Albanian mafia and criminals are everywhere in Kosovo and there is lawlessness in the province. However it should be noted that the province is under UNMIK control and not under Serbian police jurisdiction according to UNSCR 1244.

Serbian mafia

Main article: Serbian mafia

Serbian Organized Crime (Serbian: Cpпска мафија / Srpska Mafija, Serbian Mafia) or Naša Stvar ("Our Thing") are various criminal organizations based in Serbia or composed of ethnic Serbs. Serbian criminals are active in the European Union (EU) countries. The organizations are primarily involved in smuggling, arms trafficking, drug trafficking, protection racket, illegal gambling, jewelry and gems theft, bodyguarding, and contract killing. The Mafia is composed of several major organized groups, which in turn have wider networks throughout primarily Europe.

The Yugoslav Wars prompted criminals a "way out" of economic disaster during the international imposed sanctions against Serbia. Serbian criminals have been recruited to state security forces, a notable example is Legija, a commander in the Arkan's Tigers which after the war was re-labeled as the JSO (Red Berets), he planned the murder of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić.^[2]

References

1. ^ http://www.emg.rs/en/news/serbia/156009.html
2. ^ Organized Crime in the Western Balkans