BUCHAREST, October 17, 2013 – Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) continued its regular practice for recognition of outstanding law enforcement activities and granted awards to those cases which proved to be successful, using the SELEC cooperation network and involving at least two SELEC Member States.
SELEC Bi-annual Awards Committee decided to grant the following awards for the first semester of 2013, as an appreciation for the efforts made and the results obtained by the relevant authorities of the Member States:
FIRST PRIZE
– Operation TIRANA, a drug trafficking case involving Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, which conducted to identification of 15 members of an organized crime group (out of which 8 persons arrested and charged), seizure of 30.341 kg heroin and confiscation of 2 passenger cars and 1 minibus.
SECOND PRIZE
– Operation SOUTH, a case in the field of the migrants smuggling developed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Croatia which led to the arrest of 38 persons (13 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 25 in Republic of Croatia), including the organizer, and seizure of mobile phones, SIM cards, foreign passports, a gun and a small quantity of marijuana.
– Operation STUDENT, in the field of counterfeiting money and falsifying documents, between Republic of Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with the following results: arrest of 9 persons, seizure of 21 false banknotes of 100 EUR each, false IDs, and incriminating documents, and dismantling of one workshop for manufacturing fake money in Republic of Bulgaria.
– Operation ESZEK/KASTEL, a migrants smuggling case, involving Republic of Croatia and Hungary, which led to the arrest of 10 persons and seizure of 18 mobile phones, 25 pieces of SIM cards, 163,140 HRK, 16,000 HUF, 115 EUR, 10 CHF, one semi-automatic rifle with scope, 321 pieces of ammunition, 1 laptop and various other documents related to the mentioned criminal offences.
THIRD PRIZE
– Operation HIT, a migrants smuggling case, between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Serbia, which led to the arrest of 7 persons, seizure of 3 cars and 1 truck and identification of 35 illegal migrants.
