Press release from the Bureau for Operational Coordination

At its fifth session, in addition to the matters presented to the public in the previous press release, the Bureau for Operational Coordination discussed and adopted several conclusions within its jurisdiction.

In line with the needs of creating security policies, the Bureau has verified the public version of the Mid-term review of the Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA). This review was prepared after several months of dedicated work by an interdepartmental working team led by the Acting Assistant Director of the Police Directorate, Lazar Šćepanović, which was formed by the Bureau in December last year.

Additionally, the Bureau discussed the proposal for an updated list of national priorities in the fight against serious and organised crime. This proposal will be further discussed and adopted by the National Security Council and includes the following areas: activities of high-risk organised crime groups, drug trafficking, corruption with a special focus on high-level corruption, illegal migration and human trafficking, smuggling of excise goods, cybercrime, terrorism and extremism, violence and abuse of firearms, and the new national priority of environmental crime. The latter has become a specific security challenge in Montenegro, due to the expansion of illegal activities in areas such as illegal logging, unauthorized construction, and illegal gravel extraction from riverbeds. These activities, accompanied by corruption, have caused significant economic and environmental problems, severely affecting the environment and biodiversity.

The public version of the Mid-term review of the Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) will be published on the Government of Montenegro's website after technical preparations and necessary translations.

The Bureau also reviewed reports on the work of interdepartmental working teams, considered initiatives for forming new ones, and addressed other issues within its jurisdiction.