Romanian police and their partners from Schengen member states tracked down between February 3 – 10 no less than 546 people, 124 vehicles and 24 documents listed in alerts entered in the Schengen Information System (SIS); in the said period police also enforced over 30 European arrest warrants, the Romanian Police General Inspectorate said in a release.
Following additional exchange of data and information via the SIRENE Office of the International Police Cooperation Centre – Romanian Police General Inspectorate, 367 persons listed in SIS alerts have been tracked down in Romania between February 3 – 10.
“Romanian police enforced 34 European arrest warrants, tracked down 118 people who were wanted for assisting with judicial procedures, and seven persons who had been reported missing by the partners in the Schengen states. 72 vehicles have been identified in Romania, which were sought by Schengen partners to be seized or used as evidence in criminal proceedings, and 15 documents and two registration certificates have also been seized. The exchange of data and information through the SIRENE Office also resulted in the identification, by Schengen partners, within their states’ boundaries, of 179 people sought by the Romanian authorities,” the release said.
Of the 179 persons, 35 were wanted on a European arrest warrant, 17 were sought to participate in judicial procedures and seven people were reported missing by the Romanian authorities.
Partners in Schengen member states identified 52 vehicles and seven documents sought by the Romanian authorities to be cancelled or used as evidence in criminal proceedings.
Almost 220 criminal groups razed in 2016
The police specialised in fighting organised crime has completed in 2016 almost 5,000 searches based on the criminal files aiming at dismantling several crime groups, ending in razing 217 such groups counting for 1,779 persons.
“The Organised Crime Combating Directorate with the Romanian Police is the specialised unit with attributions in combating drug trafficking, human trafficking, computer crime, money laundering and terrorism funding. As many as 15 brigades, 28 services and 4 drug analysis and profile laboratories exist at territorial level with the same operational features as the ones at central structure’s level. The directorate is cooperating according to the law, with other countries’ similar structures, as well as with international bodies with competencies in the organised crime fighting,” reads a press release by the Romanian Police General Inspectorate (IGPR) sent on Sunday to Agerpes.
According to the source, the activities are focused on the prevention and combat of the organised and cross-border crime, the stripping of the crime groups, aiming to ensure a legal climate of the business milieu by fighting tax evasion, counterfeiting and by protecting the European Union’s financial interests.
