Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BRATISLAVA668
2005-08-18 12:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:  

(U) ORGANIZED CRIME IN SLOVAKIA (C-CN5-00417)

Tags:  PINR SOCI LO 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000668 

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR SOCI LO
SUBJECT: (U) ORGANIZED CRIME IN SLOVAKIA (C-CN5-00417)

REF: STATE 146246

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000668

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR SOCI LO
SUBJECT: (U) ORGANIZED CRIME IN SLOVAKIA (C-CN5-00417)

REF: STATE 146246

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.


1. (U) In response to reftel inquiry regarding organized
crime in Slovakia, post provides the following response:


A. (U) ARE THERE ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS PRESENT IN THE HOST
COUNTRY THAT ORIGINATED IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES: RUSSIA,
UKRAINE, ITALY, THE BALKANS (ALBANIA, SERBIA, BOSNIA),JAPAN,
GREATER CHINA (CHINA, HONG KONG, MACAU, OR TAIWAN),OR WEST
AFRICA? WHAT IS THE EXTENT OR NATURE OF THEIR PRESENCE?

(SBU) ANSWER: According to the Ministry of the Interior, in
addition to Slovak organized crime groups, there are
organized crime groups present in Slovakia representing
Vietnam, China, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, KOSOVO, as well as
"Arab" criminal elements. According to the MOI's 2004 report
on "Organized and Criminal Groups," these groups involve 353
"full members" in addition to an unknown number of
associates. The MOI indicates that these full members are
located in Bratislava (185),western Slovakia (52),central
Slovakia (50),and eastern Slovakia (66).


B. (U) WHAT TYPES OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY ARE THESE GROUPS
ENGAGED IN? WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE CRIMINAL
ACTIVITY?

(SBU) ANSWER: Organized crime in Slovakia engages mostly in
drug smuggling, prostitution/human trafficking, extortion,
and to a smaller extent, arms smuggling. According to the
MOI, they also participate in economic activities and money
laundering by and through such means as restaurants, retail
and large scale sales, alcohol and cigarette
smuggling/distribution, and the operation of private security
firms (members of several of which have allegedly worked as
"muscle" for their organized crime-affiliated bosses).

(SBU) According to MOI information, an organized crime ring
made up of Kosovar Albanians dominates the drug trade,
smuggling drugs (primarily heroin) into Slovakia from Turkey
and the Balkans and distributing them using unemployed Roma
dealers.

(SBU) Sources in the MOI also report arms smuggling in the
Piestany region, where "Arab organized crime" is running an
illegal weapons business (Note: We doubt the accuracy of
this particular assessment. End Note).

(SBU) 2004 figures from the General Prosecutor's office
indicate that 2,172 individuals were investigated (1,016 were
sentenced) for the 29 crimes identified by the GOS as
activities of "organized crime." These crimes include
illegal production and distribution of drugs, robbery,
counterfeiting, money laundering, blackmailing, illegal
possession of weapons, trafficking in persons, and theft. Of
these, the majority were associated with narcotics smuggling
(1,315 investigated, 700 sentenced).


C. (U) WHAT FRONT COMPANIES DO THE GROUPS USE? WHAT
RELATIONSHIP, IF ANY, IS THERE BETWEEN THE CRIMINAL GROUPS
LISTED ABOVE AND CRIME GROUPS INDIGENOUS TO THE HOST COUNTRY?
ARE THERE INDICATIONS THAT THE GROUPS LISTED ABOVE COOPERATE
WITH EACH OTHER OR OTHER INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALS?

(SBU) ANSWER: While it is widely rumored that many downtown
Bratislava restaurants are mafia fronts, it is more likely
that they are being confused for such because of their
payment of "protection money" to local crime bosses. The
protection is occasionally provided; several years ago, a
pair of unruly British bar patrons refused to leave a
downtown establishment and were shot and wounded by "mafia"
henchmen.

(SBU) The smaller "foreign" groups (those named above) are
smaller in number and, in terms of scope and operations,
weaker than the indigenous Slovak groups. Cooperation may be
more of an economic arrangement; the MOI tells us that many
members of these groups "rotate" through various affiliations.


D. (U) ARE THERE INDICATIONS OF LINKS OR CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN THESE GROUPS AND TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN THE HOST
COUNTRY?

(SBU) ANSWER: Neither the Embassy nor the MOI has any
indications that organized criminal elements in Slovakia have
any relation with terrorist organizations.


E. (U) IS THERE EVIDENCE OF CORRUPT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
THESE GROUPS AND HOST COUNTRY BUSINESSMEN OR GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS? WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS? IF
POSSIBLE, PLEASE PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THESE CRIME GROUPS
COERCING BUSINESS OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

(SBU) ANSWER: There are reports of low-level government
corruption regarding cigarette and human smuggling among
police officers, and the head of a government internment camp
for illegal immigrants was transferred after he was
investigated for cooperating with human smuggling rings.
While corruption remains among low-level government
officials, especially in rural localities, neither the MOI
nor the Embassy believes there is significant coercion of
government officials by these groups.

(SBU) Rural businesses may be more susceptible to influence
by organized crime, particularly the extortion of "protection
money."
VALLEE


NNNN