Taking Out Traffickers - European Union Police Mission in Bosnia ...

19 April 2010 nº72In FocusTaking Out TraffickersPolice in BiH break major drug supply chainsIn the fight against drug trafficking,Bosnia and Herzegovina police agenciesseem to be gaining the upper hand. Traf -fickers of illicit narcotics have taken seve -ral heavy blows since the beginning of thisyear — trafficking networks have been ex -po sed and dismantled, smuggling operati -ons have been stopped in their tracks, as -sets have been seized and large quantitiesof drugs prevented from rea ching the stre -ets of BiH and Euro pean capitals.A country-wide police operation entitled“Network 2010” is at the very heart of thisincreasingly successful strategy. Launchedtowards the end of 2009, the operation hassignificantly stepped up the fight againstorganized crime and especially illicit drugtrafficking. The infamous “Balkan Route”has for a long time been a geographicallyand strategically valuable entry point fordrug smugglers looking to prise their wayinto the Euro pean market. With the growingsuccess of police and judicial authorities inboth BiH and the wider region, considerableamounts of drugs have not reached their distributors.The increasing levels of cooperationbetween police and judicial agencies in BiHand the Balkan region as a whole are parti -cularly promising. BiH has been conductingjoint operations with counterparts in Croatia,Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Germanyto name a few.”Much of the success can be pointed tothe nature of operations which emphasizethe need for a coordinated, joint ap pro ach,”Stanislav ^a|o, Republika Srpska (RS)Minister of Interior, said in a speech at ananti-drug trafficking seminar in Banja Lukalast week. ”We are all aware that the fightagainst organized crime is not a problem foronly one agency or institution, but a commonissue. Only coordinated, carefullyplanned and executed operations lead tosuccess."Busting drug supplyAnd success has been abundant. On April7, 155 kilograms of the potent strain ofcannabis known as “skunk” were found in ahidden compartment of a cargo vehic le atthe Klobuk border crossing near Trebinje.The European market value of the haul isestimated to be more than €600,000. Thedrugs were smuggled from Albania, throughMontenegro and into BiH, where the drugsmugglers were apprehended.The BiH Prosecutor’s Office worked clo -sely with judicial and police authorities insurrounding countries to ensure the casewould provide enough evidence to shatterthe trafficking ring responsible. The operati -Continued on page 2 >>EditorialContinued on page 2 >>European Union Police MissionI feel very honored tohave been given an opportunityto write an editorialfor the Mission Magazine ofthe EU Police Mission, ourmain partner in the buildingof a modern, effec tive andaccountable police of Bos -nia and Herzegovina.However, the responsibility for a better and saferBosnia and Herzegovina primarily lies with us, thecitizens of this country, and especially police professionalsand people managing the police in ourcountry. Our engagement, good projects, our activitieswill, I am absolutely certain, always be supportedby the EUPM, which is proved by the workand cooperation we have had so far.There are two main security challenges that ourpolice have been facing and which have an impacton the elementary security of citizens. They areorganized crime and corruption, including juveniledelinquency and narco-crime, as well as trafficsecurity.On the one hand, organized crime threatens thevery foundations of our state, basic values of oursociety and it is very often almost invisible. On theother hand, traffic takes away the lives of decentpeople, our neighbors and relatives, very concretely.This is why the basic question is: how does onerespond to these challenges?This is why the Federation Ministry of Interiorhas included these occurrences into its main priorities.Train, equip and motivate are the basic principlesof our strategic approach in the fight againstorganized crime. We have financed a postgraduatestudy called „ Legality in investigating and provingorganized crime „ for 72 police officers from allaround Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have organizedspecialized police courses at our PoliceAcademy. We have financed the purchase of modernpolice equipment to be used in the fight againstorganized crime. We are going to continue thisproject throughout 2010 as well.In this way we want to create basic organizational,personnel, and technical preconditions for effectivepolice work.This is how conditions are created not only forthe fight against organized crime, but also againstcertain occurrences that are tightly connected withthe latent existence and activities of organizedcrime. That fight will strengthen the elementaryfeeling of security on the streets among our citizens;it will help us reduce the quantity of narcoticsand illegal weapons on our streets. This is how thepolice will also influence extremely worrying coldbloodedmurders. The police will make the citizensfeel safer, which is the main task of every modernpolice force.On the other hand, at the beginning of 2008, wecreated the first strategic document of BiH fromthe field of traffic security. Together with the canwww.eupm.org1

Continued from page 1 >>on itself was conducted jointly by the StateInvestigation and Protection Agency (SIPA),the BiH Border Police and Tuzla CantonPolice, and five persons have been arrestedin connection to this case.On 31 March, three kilos of high-puritycocaine were seized by SIPA officers in Sa -rajevo after a tip-off by German law enforcementagencies. The package, with a streetvalue of around 300,000KM, was sent fromPeru and arrived by mail in Germany. TheGerman authorities allo wed the package tocontinue its journey to BiH, alerting the lawenforcement agencies in BiH of its presence.The Special Department for OrganizedCrime, Economic Crime and Corruption(SDOC) within the BiH Prosecutor's Officegave the orders to SIPA officers to carry outthe search. The seizure was ma de in a warehousein Sarajevo, and three people arrested.Nipping it in the bud“Network 2010” has been successful notonly in stopping the flow of drugs throughBiH, but also the production of drugs in BiHdestined for the European market. The lar -gest ever cannabis farm in BiH was found inGata, near the BiH-Croatia border, on 31March. An intricate production facility fullyequipped for the entire cultivation process ofcannabis — from seed planting to packaging —was discovered by Una-Sana Canton Police.The sheer scale of the potential amount ofcannabis the farm could produce is evidentthrough the value of the production equipmentseized: ”We estimate that the equipmentalone is worth more than half a millionKM,” said Ale [iljdedi}, Una-Sana CantonPo lice Spokesperson.Police in Banja Luka discovered anothercannabis farm on 25 March, at the home ofa Banja Luka resident. Cult i vating equipment,plants, seeds and packaged “skunk”were all seized at the location.Major successes in drug busts19 January — 50 kilos of heroin seized in Ilid`a16 February — 1,5 kilos of heroin seizedin Bosanska Gradi{ka10 March — 10 kilos of cannabisseized in Stolac25 March — Heroin and cannabis productionequipment seized inUna-Sana Canton25 March — cannabis farm discoveredin Banja Luka31 March — 3 kilos of cocaineseized in Sarajevo31 March — largest ever cannabis farm in BiHdiscovered in Gata7 April — 155 kilos of cannabis seizednear Trebinje13 April — 8 kilos of cannabis seized in Pale15 April — 15 kilos of cannabis seized in Bile}aHard drugs as well are being taken off thestreets with increasing success as part of“Network 2010”. RS Police arrested threepeople in Bosanska Gradi{ka on 16 Febru -ary, seizing more than 1.5 kilos of heroinwith a street value of 50,000KM. In Febru -ary alone, RS Police confiscated more than akilo of cannabis, just under a kilo of the am -phe tamine “speed”, large quantities of co ca -ine, and a number of firearms and vehicles.More than 102 people were arrested in connectionwith the drugs production and trafficking,firearms and stolen goods.”We had search orders for 98 locations inRepublika Srpska and Br~ko District,” saidUro{ Pena, RS Police Director, adding thatseveral old robbery and aggravated theft ca -ses were also solved during the operation.In what is considered the largest haul everby Sarajevo Canton Police, 50 kilos of heroinwere confiscated in the capital’s suburbIlid`a on January 19, alongside eight luxuryvehicles, around 20,000 Euros in cash andhundreds of mobile phones. The operationwas conducted in cooperation with the BiHIntelligence-Security Agency (OSA) and is acontinuation of activities initiated in De cem -ber 2009, when four persons were arrestedand three kilos of drugs seized. ”Such re -sults are encouraging, since drug addictionis possibly the biggest problem in this countryand a phenomenon that we should fightagainst in every possible way,” sta tedSarajevo Can ton Prosecutor, Oleg ^av ka.Safer streets of EuropeFurther breaking organized crime networks,Una-Sana Canton Police executed alarge-scale counter-narcotics operation onMarch 25, disrupting the chain of drug supplyto the region. Several locations weresearched and significant quantities of heroinwere found, alongside cannabis productionequipment and seeds. The ope ration was aresult of months of careful surveillance andspecial investigations.Continued from page 1 >>tonal ministries of interior we have been implementingthis strategy and we have achieved valuableresults. While the number of fatalities andserio usly injured was growing by a worrying 10%each year from 2000 to 2007, in only 18 months ofthe implementation of our action plan we havemanaged not only to stop that tendency, but also toreduce that number by an encouraging 20%. Ouractivities have saved at least 33 human lives.Also this year we are continuing our life-savingmission. Together with the cantonal ministries ofinterior, we will continue to put maximum efforts toprevent traffic from being the murderer of contemporaryage. We will modernize a database of trafficaccidents, which already now in the Federation ofBiH represents a realistic basis for planning thesuppression of traffic violations. We will acquiremobile radar systems that will uncompromisinglysanction every offender. We will go one step furtherand acquire equipment for detecting the presenceof drugs in the body of motorists. Our objective isto eliminate both alcohol and narcotics as the causesof traffic accidents. Together we will implementthe campaign for improving traffic safety.In this way, with concrete projects and speciallydesigned legal solutions, we will try to make ourpolice an independent, effective and accountableorganization, ready for its main task — the securityof citizens and a better quality life.Only in this way can the police be the leader inintegrating Bosnia and Herzegovina into theEuropean Union, and the EUPM our supporter inthese efforts. Muhidin Ali}Federation BiH, Minister of InteriorFurther large amounts of cannabis havealso been uncovered in BiH in the past fewmonths. Eight kilos of “skunk” were seizedin Pale on 13 April by East Sa ra jevo Policeacting on information provi ded by BiH Bor -der Police, while ten kilos were confiscatedby Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Police inStolac on 10 March and 15 kilos by TrebinjeSupport Unit on April 15.The recent regional seminar on anti-drugtrafficking, held in Banja Luka April 13-14,embodies the vision of the law enforcementagencies in the region. Suc cess is beingachieved. Notable is the in creasing cooperationbetween prosecutors and police, bothregionally and internationally. Police in BiHnot only curbs the flow of drugs in the re -gion but, importantly, reduces the amount ofharmful narcotics spilling onto the streets ofEurope.With potentially millions of Euros takenfrom the hands of traffickers, taking awaytheir key asset — money — goes a long wayin disrupting the networks. And with scoresof kilos of drugs stopped from potentiallyharming countless lives, the security andwell being of societies around the widerEuropean region is being strengthened as aresult of the tireless work of the law en -forcement agencies in BiH. The levels ofcooperation across all levels in BiH in thefight against drugs are certainly promisingto see. 2www.eupm.orgEuropean Union Police Mission

Police in BiHDirectors Bring BiH Closer to Visa LiberalizationTaking the final steps in fulfilling therequirements of the Roadmap for visa liberalizationfor its citizens, Bosnia andHerzegovina Council of Ministers ap po -inted on March 9 the heads of the Di -rectorate for Coordination of Police Bo -dies. Sarajevo Canton Police Com mis -sioner Himzo Selimovi} has been namedDirector of the Directorate, while Re pub -lika Srpska Police Director Uro{ Pena andformer Head of BiH Border Police MileJuri} were named deputy directors.”I congratulate the BiH CoM and theMinister of Security for their determinationto take these important decisions,” saidHead of EU Police Mission, Stefan Feller, ofthe appointments. ”I would also like to congratulatemy police colleagues for theirappointments and offer them my full supportfor their important tasks. EUPM standsready to assist and advise on the next stepsto reach this goal.”Meeting EU standardsThe Directorate for Coordination ofPolice Bodies still has some way to go reachits full potential — technical conditions forinternational police cooperation need to becreated, alongside for data exchange andsecured data processing, among other technicalities.Furthermore, by the AgreementBIH and France signagreement on interior securityBiH Minister of Security and Deputy Chairmanof the BiH Council of Ministers, Sadik Ahmetovi},signed an agreement with France on internal securityon 30 March. This agreement further strengthensmutual assistance in the fight against organizedcrime. Brice Hortefeux, the French InteriorMinister, gave support to Ahmetovi} in BiH’s pathto the liberalization of its visa regime. Hortefeuxfurther proposed that France, as the initiator of thenew formulation of the Union for the Mediter ra -nean (the Barcelona Process), support the organi -zation of a meeting of the Union for Me di ter ra ne -an’s interior ministers in Sarajevo. on the establishment of an electronic systemof information ex change from police andprosecution re gis ters, the Directorate willbecome the seat of the centralized systemserver for data exchange. The server isexpected to be come functional 60 days followingthe appointment of the Director.”The Directorate is in charge of the communication,coordination and coope ra tionof police bodies at BiH level, and with otherpolice in Europe and beyond,” explainsSelimovi} to BiH media. ”It is in charge ofan attempt to ensure a standar dization ofpolice, acting in line with Eu ropean practiceand the best European ex periences in policework. It will be tasked with regularly compilingall security-related information that is ofimportance to the country from all competentpolice agencies at all levels and theirtimely distribution to competent bodies inBiH.”Selimovi}’s Deputy, Uro{ Pena, stated toBiH media that the Directorate will becomeoperational by June, within the 90-day deadline.The time left is to be used to respond tothe three immediate challenges i.e. to preparea book of rules, identify premises andpersonnel, and to pro pose the budget, whichis to be ap pro ved by the Council ofMinisters.As far as improving the efficiency of thecooperation between police agencies in thecountry, Pena said that his work experiencemight help.”BiH Directorate for Coordination of Po -lice Bodies will have a lot of work concerningthe improvement of coordination among differentpolice bodies, and I will gi ve my best tomake its work more efficient,” said Pena.The decision of the BiH Council of Mi ni -s ters is a crucial step in setting up the inst i -tuti ons es tablished by the 2008 police re -form laws. Police Reform LawsIn April 2008, both Houses of Parliamentadopted the Laws on Police Reform: Law on theDirectorate for Coordination of Police Bodies,Agen cies for Police Structure Support and the Lawon Independent and Supervisory Bodies of the Po -lice Structure of BiH.The laws foresee the establishment of sevennew agencies at the State level:- four new coordination and support instituti -ons — Directorate for Coordination of Police Bo -dies of BiH, Agency for Forensic Examinations andExpertise, Agency for Education and AdvancedTraining of Personnel, and Police Support Agency- three supervisory and oversight bodies —Independent Board, Police Officials’ ComplaintBoard, Citizens’ Complaint Board. Himzo Selimovi}Current position:Director of Directoratefor Coordinationof Police BodiesLatest position:Canton Sarajevo Police CommissionerBorn: 1961, Fo~aEducation:Bachelor , s Degree in Defense ManagementUro{ PenaCurrent position:Deputy Director ofDirectorate for Coordinationof Police BodiesLatest position:Republika Srpska Police DirectorBorn: 1959, Mrkonji} GradEducation:Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate in LawMile Juri}Current position:Deputy Director ofDirectorate for Coordinationof Police BodiesLatest position:Head of Office for Strategic Planningand Analysis of the BiH Border PoliceBorn: 1959, Buhovo, [iroki BrijegEducation: Bachelor’s Degree in EconomicsEuropean Union Police Mission www.eupm.org 3

A Day with… Guy Rolin, Head of EUPM Administration and Support ServicesBuilding Mission’s Esprit de CorpsWith more than 30 years experience inthe French Gendarmerie and having ser -ved for ten years in the French military,retired-colonel Guy Rolin brings a wealthof pragmatism and legal know-how to hisrole as the EUPM , s Head of Administra -tion and Support Services. The crucial taskhe carries out encompasses a broad rangeof activities; he is responsible for overseeingseveral different offices includingPersonnel, Finan ce, Procurement, Com -mu ni cations and Information Systems,Logistics and the Motor and Trans por -tation Office.Rolin , s previous international experienceis broad. Before arriving at theEUPM in 2006, he was the Deputy Head ofMission at EUPOL PROXIMA in Ma -cedonia, served as the Head of Project fora French Gendarmerie Mission in Ca -meroon, and worked for an extended periodof time at the French Gendarme rie , sMain Headquarters in Paris. We spentsome time with Rolin to try to find out whatdaily life is like working as the Head ofAdministration and Support Services inone of the EU , s most important crisis managementoperations.Punctually, Rolin arrived in our officewith a set of documents under his arm,greeted us politely and sat down to start discussinghis daily routine. ”I am a man of thedocument,” he joked, as he handed over afolder with some background informationon his daily tasks. With an extensive backgroundin administration and public law andregulation, he told us, ”I find this jobextremely interesting”.”I am an extremely busy guy, I , m off toBrussels to report to the CPCC/MSU nextweek, I , ve got meetings all this week andhave a load of paperwork to tackle,” hesaid. To briefly explain Rolin’s role basedon the information he provided us would bea tall order. In any case, his daily schedule ispacked full of budget issues, clearing uppersonnel matters, contributing to missionreports, exchanging emails betweenBrussels, meetings with senior staff andcountless other engagements.”What I really like about the job is that itis executive,” he explained. ”Withoutadministration, the mission cannot run. It isalso interesting to be involved in all the differentfields — personnel, finance, procurement,CIS, GSS.” His background as apolice officer, he explained, allows him tosee the bigger operational and administrativepicture together.Maintaining the balance”I know the operational requirements andEU regulation due to this experience. Myjob is to supervise so that the operationalrequirements are met by the regulationsimposed by Brussels. Regulation is verystrict,” he continued.A large part of the reasoning behind thestrict regulation is much due to the diversityof administrative structures around the EUand the need to make sure the money isspent correctly. ”It is strict because themoney comes from the member states andwe must have strict regulation due to thedifferent regulations aro und Europe — 27different ones. Any money spent must beauthorized,” he said.”Due to my legal background, I have acertain way of thinking. The chain of commandbetween here and Brussels must bewell respected,” he continued. ”We need tomake sure we are all on the same line andthat there is an understanding between theMission, CPCC, Administra tion and theCommission.”Institutional liaisonRolin went on to explain how the fundsfor CSDP missions need to be used in asound financial way, and that funds cannotbe spent without pre-agreement. Outliningthese issues back to Brussels plays a largepart in his job. Last year, Rolin, alongsidethe Head of Administration at the EUMonitoring Mission in Georgia, presented areport to Brussels in front of the MemberStates Representatives (RELEX Group)outlining the key administration issues forCSDP civilian crisis management operations.Much of the report detailed the finerpoints of administrative issues dealing withhuman resource management, budgetaryissues and mission administration.Rolin had to cut the meeting short, assuringus that we would meet later in the day.A pressing issue had cropped up, leaving usto contemplate the overwhelming task thislevelheaded Frenchman has in his hands.After freeing up time in his hectic schedulelater in the day, Rolin invited us to his officeto pick up where we left off.Medal ParadeWith the 14 th EUPM Medal Parade shortlyapproaching, Rolin, as the supervisor, isresponsible for ensuring the event is a success.The event is scheduled to be held atthe EUPM Headquarters on 23 April. Bothnational and international EUPM staff areawarded in recognition of their service tothe Mission. The event is a regular occurrencefor the Mission, which Rolin feels isimportant for several reasons.”This can be one of the high points ofpeoples , careers. It really helps build the”ésprit de corps” of the Mission,” he expla -4www.eupm.orgEuropean Union Police Mission

i ned. ”The seconded staff are particularlykeen on the Medal Parade. It also serves asa key networking event, as there are notableVIPs who attend.”He described how the event is both convivialand ceremonial. ”The Head ofMission can use this occasion to deliver aceremonial message to the staff and VIPsand recognize and reward the staff membersfor their work,” he said.Lessons from AfricaWhen we asked him what the toughestparts of the job were, he explained: ”Well, Isuppose the job can be frustrating at times.You often find yourself explaining thingsover and over to people unfamiliar with theadministrative process. Explai ning theprocess behind the regulation again andagain can be a little botherso me. I get thefeeling sometimes that people don , t fullyunderstand the role of the administrationdepartment.”With such an extensive career in administration,however, it is second nature to Rolinto deal with these sorts of issues effectively.”When I was in the Gendar merie in Africa,I learnt a really important saying that I stillsay to myself to this day: , When the elephantwalks, it does not care about the bushesbrushing against his legs. , ”With these types of tasks at hand, heexplained that sometimes one needs to bestrict. Incorporating the military culture intohis working style goes a long way to gettingthe job done.Human interest”But we have an excellent life in here inBosnia and Herzegovina as internationals.We have everything,” he said. ”Havingserved in Africa, Venezuela and Vietnamamong other places, I can tell you that lifehere in Bosnia and Herze govina is good.”Rolin enjoys a variety of activities in hisspare time. In his younger years, he was akeen martial artist, gaining first dan level inKarate, trained extensively in Thai Boxing(Muay Thai) and was an avid Rugby player.”My father always used to tell me youneed to practice both an individual sportand a collective sport.” Rolin also tells usthat used to play the saxophone and is ahuge fan of jazz.We asked him what he thought aboutworking life in general at the EUPM. Hetold us that he particularly enjoys the differentworking cultures and the different waysof thinking. ”Every person is interesting,humans have an interesting nature whenyou step back — it is interesting to see howdifferent people deal with different things,”he concluded. Internal AffairsMission Analytical Capability:EUPM , s Pilot ProjectTo reflect its core objectives and adjustto the complex nature of Common Se -curity and Defense Policy (CSDP) operations,the European Union Police Mis -sion introduced a new unit within its new,refocused mandate — Mission AnalyticalCa pability (MAC). The first MAC,charged with proper knowledge developmentand information sharing, has beenestablished in Bosnia and Herzegovinawithin the EUPM's Policy Office. MACwill begin as a pilot project, aiming tocomprehensively assess a number ofinter-connected areas, such as the politicalenvironment, the social and economicsituation, international presence andpublic perception.”Our first task is to tailor MAC to theconditions within the Mission and thecountry specifics, to show that MAC hassignificance as a complementary tool nextto existing functions within EUPM,”explains Gunnar Eichholz, Head of MAC.According to the EUPM’s operationalplan, MAC is, among other things,focused on improving reporting throughthe chain of command and to EUSR, processinginformation from all mission componentsand assessing the impact of identifiedthreats and opportunities on theimplementation of the mission mandate.One of MAC’s key functions is to producetechnical assessments of events and deve -lopments in response to requests from theEUPM’s Head of Mission and missionmanagement in decision making proces -ses.MAC will thus, as a new element ofCSDP, be at the core of EUPM's informationprocesses, providing situationalawareness and enabling an informationledappro ach. MAC team at work”The main reason for us being here is tosupport the Head of Mission and the missionmanagement with mid- to long-termanalysis, without interfering with line managers'responsibilities,” elaborates Eich -holz. ”While the idea for analytical capabilitieswithin missions is nothing new, thisapproach is quite unique in having a purelyanalytical unit. This is a big opportunityto prove whether the MAC concept will beworth being established in other missions,and to assure improvement of the informationflow with partners here but also withthe EU Council in Brussels. We all areaware of this and motivated in this decisiveperiod of starting the first MAC.”The MAC team consists of three expertswith an analytical background. They havebeen recruited to complement each other,to assure MAC can fulfill a catalogue offunctions, tasks and products.”I am very happy to be involved in thisproject,” says MAC team member DanielCiocea, who was previously the Head ofOperational Intelligence Analysis Bureaufor the General Inspectorate of the Ro ma -nian Police. ”The establishment of MACwill boost the Mission's ability to interpretdevelopments in the context in which itoperates, adapt to evolving parametersand therefore improve decision- making,as well as reporting towards the politicaland strategic level.”MAC will also work and coordinatethrough contacts with other analyticalcapabilities in the country to assure comprehensiveanalysis.”I am looking forward to working withour colleagues to fulfill this challengingtask of developing a new structure withinan existing mission and making it functioncomplementarily,” concludes MAC’s analystVesna Marinkovi}. European Union Police Mission www.eupm.org 5

Police in BiHIn preparation for public relations pro -jects and planned events for 2010, the EUPolice Mission and Forum of BiH policespokespersons organized a two-day strategicworkshop in Mostar, producing concreteplans for summer campaigns on trafficand property safety, Kid , s Festival activities,the autumn media campaign and anumber of other local and regional programs.”We had a very constructive meeting inMostar, on the first day we were taking stockof what was achieved with the anti-corruptioncampaign and on the second day wefocused on proposals from the local police inrelation to their future PR activities, withconcrete slogans, taglines and even designideas,” said Kilian Wahl, Chief EUPM Pressand Public Information Office.The Forum carefully assessed resultsachieved by the ”Corruption takes everythingfrom you” campaign in each regionand decided to continue with messages relatedto police work and police-citizens cooperationin the fight against organized crimeand corruption. This will especially be theNewcomersFRANCEVesna Marinkovi}, 28, joined theEUPM as Analyst within the MissionAnalytical Capability (MAC). Shecomes from France and holds aMaster’s Degree in Political Science,Master’s Degree in Euro pe an andInterna ti onal Law and is completinga Ph.D. thesis on energy security. Be fore joining themission, Marinkovi} worked as a Pro g ram Assistant atDCAF, Geneva, in the field of Security Sector Reformmainly in Western Balkans and South Caucasus. Shealso worked as a project coordinator for a program onthe OSCE at the Center for International Governance,Geneva, and participated in several Election Obser -vation Missions with the OSCE/ODIHR (Azer baijan,Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine). Marinkovi} also worked at theFrench Embassy in Cyprus for one year.GERMANYGunnar Eichholz, 44, joined the EUPM as SeniorAnalyst/Head of Mission Analytical Ca pability(MAC). He comes from Germany and holds a Mas -ter’s degree in Po litical Scien ce/Southeast Asian Stu -My Police, My Friend:Promoting Safety,Positive Behaviorfocus of the autumn campaign, together withthe promotion of the police emergency number,122.Summer activitiesTraditionally, the EUPM and BiH lawenforcement agencies have used the summermonths for short but strong public awarenesscampaigns on issues of the greatestconcern and interest to society. The Forumhas decided to focus the summer projects onproperty and traffic safety as they become anincreasing problem during the summer vacationseason, notorious for an increase in burglariesand car thefts, as well as an increasein the number of traffic accidents. The citizenswill be addressed through TV spots onhow to protect property, while drivers willbe rewarded for safe driving.In addition, all police agencies will takepart in the Kid’s Festival Police Day on June13, where children from the entire countrywill be able to take part in a traffic school,see a presentation of police dogs, attend alecture on Internet safety, and learn moreabout several aspects of police work.dies and a degree in Finance. Afterworking in fi nan ce industry formany years, Eichholz shifted hiscareer into working abroad in conflictand post-conflict countriessuch as East Timor, WestBank/Gaza, Afghanistan and Indo -nesia. Prior to joining the mission, he was working forEUPOL Afghanistan as a Senior Analyst/Deputy Headof Strategy, Planning, Analysis and Reporting. Havingworked out of Europe for some years, Eichholz says:”I am very interested to work for the EUPM in supportto strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina institutionsalong the justice chain, with the goal of Bosnia andHerzegovina to further integrate into the EU”.SLOVENIAMatjaz Kova~, 39, joined the EUPMas Crime Adviser to SIPA. Hecomes from Slo venia, where he finishedthe Uni ver sity for Police andSecurity Studies. His position inthe national police is Deputy Headof Europol National Unit in theGeneral Police Directorate, and he holds the rank ofThe Forum endorsed the continuation ofcooperation with the Kids Festival organizersand encouraged police agencies to usethis event as a platform to interact with childrenin the scope of Police Day, as they havedone in previous years. The Forum taskedmembers to consult superiors and developplans for individual presentations.”We want to present our activities, ourtasks and achievements at the Kid’sFestival,” said Irfan Nefi}, Spokesperson ofSarajevo Canton Police and coordinator ofKid’s Festival Police Day on behalf of theForum. ”We want both parents and childrento know that the police is a friend, of assistanceand at service to citizens. We wouldlike to encourage children to recognize whatis good and to promote a certain way ofbehavior based on positive approaches suchas socializing, learning, playing sports,engaging in contests of knowledge, abilitiesand skills, and placing a special emphasison no violence, no drugs.”The Forum will meet again in May, whenthey will present the project overviews andconcepts to BiH police directors, commissionersand chiefs. Detective Chief Ins pec tor. Kova~’s field of exper tiseand police experience includes organized crime investigations,SWAT Team activities, international policeco-operation (Europol, Interpol, SIRENE, SECI…).This is his second international police mission — hewas also a part of the UN peace-keeping mission inKosovo, where he worked as Chief of Intelligence Unitin Pri{tina region. When asked what motivated him tojoin the EUPM, Kova~ says: ”The EUPM is my secondinternational mission. I like to work in a multiculturaland multinational environment and I believe that my 20years of police experience may help to make local po -lice more effective in combating all types of crime.” Heis married, with two children, and his favorite free-timeactivities are sports, parenting and walks with the dog.SWEDENMagnus Hasselqvist, 54, joinedthe EUPM as Crime Adviser atRegional Offi ce Sarajevo. He comesfrom Swe den, where he is the Headof the Crime Intelligence Unit at theCounty Police of Jönköping. Heholds the rank of Cri mi nal Ins pec -tor and has more than 30 years of service. Hasselqvist6 www.eupm.orgEuropean Union Police Mission

CampaignThe recent ”Corruption takes everythingfrom you” public awareness campaign,implemented jointly by the EUPolice Mission and BiH law enforcementagencies from the beginning of De cem -ber last year has sparked a series ofdebates on the problem of corruption inall strata of society. The EUPM hosted aworkshop which gathered members ofyouth and student associations; BanjaLuka Public Security Centre (PSC)organized a roundtable and presentedthe project ”Prevention of Corruptionwithin the Republika Srpska Ministry ofInterior”, while Br~ko District Policeheld a two-day seminar in cooperationwith the Youth Centre Vermont.”I am personally impressed that thereare young people who think about solutionsto the issue of corruption,” said Ste -fan Feller, Head of the EU Police Mission,to the participants of the EUPM-organizedworkshop. ”We here at the EUPM areopen to your ideas and how you see corruptionaffecting your lives because youare the future here. It’s up to you what youmake out of it and how you confront andinfluence the system.”While the workshop yielded a list ofconstructive anti-corruption activities thatcould be implemented in local communities,faculties and schools, the participantsof the roundtable in Banja Luka focusedon methods and mechanisms used byinstitutions to prevent internal corruption. Commissioner Stefan Feller at the anti-corruption workshop with studentsPreparing the Fighting GroundAnti-Corruption Campaign Inspires Citizens’ InvolvementThey commended police agencies for havinga strategy in combating corruption andfor ”regularly informing the citizensabout the results they have achieved” inthis field, thus finding continuous mediapromotion of anti-corruption activitiescrucial.A few days later, at a seminar organizedby Br~ko District Police and non-governmentalorganization ”Vermont”, citizensraised concerns regarding corruption andnepotism in local institutions. The discussionproduced a proposal to conduct publicopinion surveys in local communities,and make a plan of action based on theresults.”The citizens showed a willingness todeal with the issue of corruption andcooperate with the police,” said Br~koDistrict Police Chief, Goran Luji}. ”Weplan to organize similar events in everylocal community in order to fight corruptionmore efficiently and improve coope -ration with citizens.” graduated from the police academy in 1977 and startedworking in Stockholm Police Department as apatrol officer. He later worked on investigations andcrime intelligence, holding various posts at nationaland regional levels. His previous international missionexperience includes UNMIS in Sudan in 2007. Whenasked what motivated him to join the EUPM,Hasselqvist says: ”The first mission was late in mycareer. It was interesting and I enjoyed working withcolleagues from other countries. You learn muchwhile in a mission, both personally and in the field ofpolice work”. He is married, with two grown children.He has many hobbies, from reading to outdoor activities,travelling and renovating his cottage.THE NETHERLANDSTeunis Morang, 54, joined theEUPM as Adviser to Border Policein Sarajevo Headquarters. He co mesfrom the Netherlands, where hejoined the police service directlyafter high school in 1974. Moranghas been working in the Royal Ma -rechaussee force for more than 36 years, holding theposition of Team Leader and the rank of First Lieu te -nant. He was working on criminal investigations relatedto migration, such as the fight against human trafficking,identity fraud and smuggling of drugs and fire -arms. His previous international police mission expe -rience includes UNIPTF in BiH 1996-1997, NATO inItaly within the Deployable Air Task Force regarding theKosovo crisis in 1999, and the EUPM in 2003/2004 asSIPA Criminal Investigation Department Adviser. Whenasked what motivated him to join the EUPM, Morangsays: ”I was motivated to rejoin another mission in thiscountry as I believe with all of us, national and internationalstaff, we will be able to improve the performanceof Bosnian Police to a higher level.” He is married, withthree children. When it comes to his free-time activities,Morang has a passion for motocross racing, but healso enjoys running and other sport activities.Monique van Opstal, 32, joined theEUPM as Immigration Adviser. Shecomes from the Netherlands, andholds the position of Senior PolicyOfficer on migration affairs and bordercontrol at the Im mi gration andNaturalization Service (INS). VanOpstal has a Bache lor’s Degree in Euro pean Studiesand Master’s Degree in International Relations. Herspecific field of expertise is visa policy, implementationof Schengen requirements for visas and borders,national and international border control, includingautomation of border control. She also has practicalexperience with visa processes, and removal andreturn procedures. Although this is her first police mission,Van Opstal has substantial international experience,including being a member of the EU SchengenEvaluation Committee on land-, sea- and air-bordersfor ’new’ EU Member States, a short-term expert inseveral EU Twinning and ICMPD projects, leading theinternational team on automated border control projectbetween NL and US. When asked what motivated herto join the EUPM, Van Opstal says: ”While working inso many different countries in Europe for just a shortperiod, I felt the urge to stay somewhere in Europe fora longer period, to try to go beyond training and quickanalyses and actually help the national authorities withthe follow-up, the implementation: the real thing. Itturned out to be in BiH!”. Her favorite free time activitiesare yoga and jogging, spending time with friends,travelling and discovering other cultures, taking part inamateur theatre classes and reading. She is also a certifiedwine taster and a volunteer for the projectWomen Inc of the ’Cultuurfabriek’, which is focusedon linking women from all around the world. European Union Police Mission www.eupm.org 7

FunLabor Day: Holiday With a CauseThe first days of May have always beena merry time in Bosnia and Herzegovina- and, indeed, for all other countries ofthe region. It is the time of friends andfamily, red carnations, the first trips tothe coast - or for those with a slim budget,picnics including a lot of shade, lambon a spit, beer that's cooling in a nearbystream, all followed by a song, and theunavoidable afternoon game of soccer,played barefoot on fresh, soft grass.In other countries, the famous holidaymay however be celebrated differently.History and practiceThe 1st of May, in some places knownas 'May Day', marks the InternationalWorkers' Day, a celebration of the socialand economic achievements of the internationallabor movement. InternationalWorkers' Day is the commemoration ofthe Haymarket Riot in Chicago in 1886. Inremembrance of this day, in 1904, theInternational Socialist Conference meetingin Amsterdam called on "the SocialDemocratic Party organizations and tradeunions of all countries to demonstrateenergetically on 1st of May for the legalestablishment of the eight-hour workingday, for the class demands of the proletariat,and for universal peace."Thus, 1st of May has long been a centralpoint for demonstrations by assorted so -cialist, communist, and anarchist groups.In most of the world today, May Day ismarked by massive street rallies led byworkers, their trade unions, anarchists andvarious communist and socialist parties.Famous was the rally held in Berlin in1987, where, after police action againstAlthough it is a day off, the typical Bosnian firstday of May celebration foresees early rising, sothat one can attend a festivity called ”Uranak” — anearly picnic somewhere in the countryside with abarbecue, all types of Bosnian delicacies and asmany friends and family one can gather on onespot. In some parts of the country, people gatheraround large bonfires, or enjoy their first swim insome of the chilly Bosnian lakes and rivers, whileothers organize competitions on who can distillthe best Bosnian plum schnapps called ”rakija” —all regardless of the fact that an ordinary BiHworker today rarely has an eight- hour workingday, eight hours to sleep and eight hours of freetime every day. the radical leftist block in the demonstrations,people scattered and sought cover atthe ongoing annual street fair in Kreuz -berg. The former protesters started tippingover police cars, violently resisting arrest,and began building barricades after thepolice withdrew due to the unforeseen re -sis tance. Cars were set on fire, shops plunderedand burned to the ground. Po licewere eventually able to end the riots thefollowing night. This was, however, quitea while ago, and the demonstrations aro -und the world today are mostly peaceful.May Day the Communist wayDue to its history, May Day is prominentlyobserved in communist countriessuch as the People's Republic of Chinaand Cuba. However, in these countriesthere are very few demonstrations, butrather military parades, fairs, and gatheringsof people in main city squares. InChina, 1st of May marks the start of oneof the country's three 'Golden Weeks'.People get three days off work, and one ofthe surrounding weekends is re-arrangedso that workers have seven continuousdays of holiday, starting on the first ofMay and ending on the seventh. This holidayalso includes Youth Day on 4 May,and is the peak period for Chinese citizensto travel around China and abroad.First of May was a major holiday in theformer Soviet Union as well. In today'sRussia, the now officially termed 'Springand Labor Day' is an annual holidaydevoted to the recognition of the workers'contribution to society. A unique displayof the most modern weapons and seeminglyendless troops of soldiers is held inMoscow. On some years, it occurs close toOrthodox Easter, so some people celebratein church.Former Yugoslavs scattered around theworld continue to celebrate May Day asper local customs. So, if you are walkingon 1 May through a park in Gothenburg,Sweden, and see a cheery group of peoplegathered arounda slowly-rota -ting lambon a spit,wat -chingtheirchild renplay bad min -ton, no re asonto ask them wherethey are from.True story. The Mission Mag is produced by the EUPM PRESS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION DEPARTMENT (PPID)Editor-in-Chief: Kilian Wahl, e-mail: kwahl@eupm.org phone: +387 33 752 766, fax: +387 33 752 759Editor: Sanela Osmanovic, e-mail: sosmanovic@eupm.org phone: +387 33 752 840, fax: +387 33 752 759