BELGRADE -- President Boris Tadić says that organized crime has taken the form of an "exceptionally powerful mafia".
Speaking at the MUP Counter-Terrorist Unit (PTJ) base near Belgrade on Friday, the present however added that organized crime “is not more powerful or stronger than the state which will deal with it”.
Tadić stated that Serbia was the regional leader in combating organized crime in and that it would not give up on standing up to the mafia in southeast Europe, despite the challenges it is facing.
“What Serbia is doing is of crucial importance for the future of our children. We’ll show that nobody has more power than the state,” Tadić stressed, at the celebration of the PTJ patron saint day, St. George.
He said that the unit – considered to be one of the top two MUP outfits – was loyal to its people and tradition, always at its optimal capability and “first to fight organized crime and terrorism”.
The president also pointed out that Serbia was facing “temptations ahead”, and economic problems, “which are a consequence of the 1990s”, as well as the issue of organized crime that was present in the entire region.
“My message is that no one is stronger than the state and you can count on me, because I’m, as the commander-in-chief, a part of your unit,” Tadić was quoted as saying.
Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, who also attended, said that combat against organized crime, corruption and terrorism needed to be continuously carried out and emphasized that this effort would not be successful without good cooperation of all state authorities involved.
“Our goal, of both police and all other state agencies, is to, just like St. George, kill this dragon which is the biggest enemy of the state, people and the entire region,” the minister said.
Dačić also reminded those gathered of the fact that almost 1,000 police officers gave their lives for the country and its future, and said their sacrifice had to be remembered, and their families supported.
The top state officials, which included Police Director Milorad Veljović and BIA Director Saša Vukadinović, as well as Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Konuzin and church dignitaries who took part in the ceremonies, were welcomed today at PTJ Base Lipovica by the unit's commander, Lt. Col. Goran Dragović.
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