Security in BiH threatened by terrorism, economic crime and political problems

Information on the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015, compiled by the Ministry of Security of BiH, has been submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly, and MPs of the House of Representatives will discuss this content on June 15, writes the Patria news agency.

The security situation during 2015 was disrupted, especially during and immediately after the execution, from the aspect of terrorism and criminal acts related to terrorism, by the terrorist attack on the Police Station in Zvornik, criminal acts committed during the commemoration in Srebrenica on July 11, 2015, against the delegation of the Republic of Serbia and delegations of other countries, the incident related to BiH Armed Forces General Ante Jeleč, as well as the terrorist attack on members of the BiH Armed Forces in Rajlovac and the throwing of an explosive device at the Police Station in Zavidovići.

- These attacks resulted in human casualties (one police officer and two soldiers killed, two police officers and one soldier wounded, while one attacker was killed and one committed suicide) and minor material damage - the Report states.

Furthermore, in the area of border security and movement and stay of foreigners, 3,009 crossings or attempted crossings of the state border were recorded for 1,270 persons, for whom warrants, search notices, measures banning crossing of the state border, security-interest persons, persons about whom information on crossing the state border needs to be provided, and other searches were issued by the competent authorities.

- The number of recorded crossings of the state border by the persons in question is higher by 416 or 16.04 percent compared to the same period in 2014 (2,593). A total of 758 foreign nationals were recorded, who were deported from BiH or voluntarily left BiH within the period allowed for voluntary departure, which is a decrease of 31.15 percent compared to the same period last year (2014 - 1,101). The largest number of persons are citizens of neighboring countries, Turkey, Albania, and persons with travel documents of Kosovo - the report states.

Interestingly, the report states that BiH is also under pressure from internal challenges.

- Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country burdened with certain internal problems of a political nature, which pose a serious danger to the social, political, security and any other stability of the country. Some of the internal challenges are security issues at the regional and global level, primarily in the domain of the fight against terrorism in all its forms. Terrorist attacks can be expected anywhere.

There is evident high indoctrination of terrorists, primarily through social networks, the state of basic security in BiH society: general crime and the state of public order and peace, a high unemployment rate, which contributes to increased general poverty and social stratification, manifested through public protests and other expressions of citizen dissatisfaction - the report further states.

One should not neglect the emergence of fear and despair due to existential threat, nor the individual manifestation of violent extremism within such protests.

- The existence of those forms of extremism aimed at threatening the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, inciting national, racial and religious hatred, discord and intolerance, freedom and human and civil rights, citizen unrest, and preventing the return of refugees and displaced persons. Recently, we have been facing individual extremists who recruit 'volunteers' to go to the Syrian battlefield and join ISIL units, as well as the return of these indoctrinated 'volunteers' to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Also, there is money laundering aimed at financing terrorist activities. The rhetoric of certain extremists who publicly, by encouraging individuals to go to Middle Eastern battlefields, incite terrorist activity, certainly represents a security risk.

Economic crime and corruption, current problems related to suspicious lending of tax debts of certain private companies, and wartime and suspicious post-war privatizations; money laundering through investments and the existence of other illegally acquired property - the Ministry of Security report states.

It also warns of the existence of organized crime networks, including cross-border ones.

- Relatively rapid renewal of neutralized networks, especially 'profitable' forms of crime: resale of stolen vehicles, human trafficking, criminal acts related to possession and distribution of narcotics - the Report states.

Of course, an unavoidable warning concerns the lack of better mutual coordination and communication among police agencies and security institutions in BiH.