Ohrid/ Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, October 20, 2015 – A press conference was held on the occasion of awarding the Operation SIMBOX, a successful joint investigation developed through SELEC channels.
The competent Law Enforcement authorities from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Serbia were awarded with the first prize for a successfully organized action for dispersion of an international criminal group operating in the area of illegal termination of GSM traffic.
At the beginning of 2013, the criminal group having 10 people from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in cooperation with the organized criminal group from Republic of Serbia composed of 10 members procured and illegally used telecommunication devices for GSM traffic termination. The devices were connected with the network of foreign mobile operators via SIM cards and realized international traffic at the price of a local traffic. This caused financial loss for the mobile operators, generating an illegal profit of EUR 506,312 only from the mobile operators from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Especially important for the investigation and the realization of the operation, was the exchange of information through SELEC and the Liaison Officers from the two countries.
“In today’s world various types of crimes are increasing in the impact generated over our societies. The threat from cybercrime is growing and inter-linking several types of serious crimes; countries around the world are being targeted, mainly due to advanced internet infrastructure available, and internet based economies and payments systems (online stock markets, online banking, online shops etc.).
In recent years, cyber threat became real, due to the fact that this particular type of crime is affecting directly the citizens and the public administrations of the states, but equally the private sector and business development. No one can stand alone in the fight against transnational organized criminality, so to develop, increase and strengthen the partnerships between public and private sector, among states around the world and between different International Organizations and Law Enforcement Agencies is to be one of the most important tools in the fight against organized crime.” stated Mr. Romulus Nicolae Ungureanu, Director for Operations of SELEC.