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News

17.12.2014

Coordinated Operation »Jelka 2014« facilitated by DCAF results in detection of illegal drugs smuggled via Balkan Route

Western Balkan Region - The coordinated operation at the Western Balkan intra-regional borders, facilitated by DCAF Ljubljana, was executed between 10 – 17 December 2014. Border police services of the Western Balkan countries, joined by Bulgarian, Slovenian and Croatian colleagues, enhanced border control in the second-line checks of travel documents, aiming toward the detection of any cross-border criminal activity. The operation concluded at 7:00 a.m.  on Wednesday, 17th December. The most prominent cases during »Jelka 2014« were the smuggling of 38.5 kg of heroin, detected by the Serbian authorities at the Bulgarian-Serbian border in the morning of 14th December, and a similar amount of the illicit drug cannabis sativa, which two Albanian citizens were caught amuggling through the Border Crossing Point at the Durres seaport on 14th December aiming for Italy. The operation also detected several attempts of illegal border crossing on part of Afghanistani citizens, persons wanted through Interpol or national arrest warrants, vehicles with forged chassis numbers, and uses of invalid travel documents. »Jelka 2014« was the last operation of 2014 under the DCAF Border Security Programme. Common and Coordinated Operations are short-term cross-border measures enabled by the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe, which provide an efficient transfer of European standards to the region, where the Western Balkan border police officers work side-by-side with their colleagues from EU Member States, building experience and crucial mutual trust.