The Slovak police last year terminated the operations of three branches of criminal groups operating in the Bratislava region and disbanded twenty-four organised groups, the draft Report on Slovakia's Security for 2011 states. The report is undergoing inter-department review, the SITA newswire reported.
The report states that organised crime continued to be characterised by regional operation of groups with defined spheres of influence extending outside the borders of one region and that they are involved in a wide range of criminal activities, SITA wrote. A tendency towards international operation is on the rise, the report stated, and this is particularly true in economic and property criminality connected with the tax system and requires international police cooperation, according to the report.
The police recorded a historic low in the number of new cases of violent crime last year, 530 fewer cases than in the previous year. But the number of crimes committed by young people continued to rise and they accounted for one-third of all crimes, according to the report.
Nineteen cases of human trafficking were identified last year; ten more than in 2010. Only one case was successfully prosecuted with the report adding that Slovakia continues to be a transit country for this type of crimes.
Marijuana continues to be the most popular illegal drug used by youth. "A better portion of grown marijuana [in Slovakia] was designated for foreign markets, in particular the Hungarian market," the reports states, as quoted by SITA.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
