related to worldwide drug problems, particularly on new psychoactive substances; briefings
from each delegation on the drug and precursor situation in their respective countries;
lessons learned on co-operation between forensics and investigations; new methods of drug
determination/profiling and scientific and technical advice.
From 24-27 November, the Mission facilitated a basic drug awareness course for eight
investigation and traffic officers of the Kosovo Police Regional Directorate Mitrovica/Mitrovicë
North. The training consisted of various lessons delivered by the Mission and its associate
instructors from the police drug directorate, prosecution and the NGO Labyrinth. Overall, it
provided the participants with insight on the different types of drugs, the drug situation in
Kosovo and elsewhere in the world and the Kosovo Police Strategy and Action Plan against
Narcotics 2012-2017, as well as with the intelligence-led policing and covert measures
lessons.
Counter-Terrorism
Radicalization in Kosovo is currently considered a localized phenomenon affecting a limited
number of individuals rather than large groups, and in its various forms is not a new
incidence. Nevertheless, radicalization has been on the rise in Kosovo during recent years
and has increasingly escalated into violent extremism by some Kosovo inhabitants, both
within Kosovo and abroad.
The number of Kosovo inhabitants travelling abroad to Syria and Iraq to support extremist
organizations in the capacity of foreign fighters is increasing. Kosovo Police noted that 16
Kosovo Albanians have been reported killed in fighting in Syria. The return of foreign fighters
is similarly increasing.
The Kosovo Police Directorate against Terrorism, under the guidance of Office of the Special
Prosecutor and Kosovo Police, undertook a large operation in the line of an order for
controlling of 60 various locations in the territory of Kosovo, in order to arrest persons who
are allegedly members of terrorist groups involved in conflicts outside Kosovo. During this
operation, 40 persons in total were arrested and detained, and evidence has been secured
for further investigations.
Fifteen representatives from the Kosovo Police, Agency for Emergency Management and
Kosovo Agency for Radiation, Protection and Nuclear Safety attended a training on chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) terrorist attacks, delivered by the Mission from 812 December. The overall objective of the training was to provide the law enforcement
agencies with a better understanding of how to address CBRN threats in order to avoid
terrorist attacks, as well as to enhance their capacities in identification of potential targets,
threat assessment, contingency planning and management of respective crisis.
In addition, during 2014 the Mission facilitated the participation of representatives of local
organizations to the following events abroad:
•
The Mission accompanied the Director of Kosovo Police Directorate against
Terrorism in the Counter-Terrorism Conference in Interlaken, Switzerland on 28 and
29 April. The conference was organized by the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship with the
support of the Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department, in close co-operation
with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and other OSCE
executive structures.
•
The Mission accompanied a police officer and a civil society representative to a joint
OSCE and Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) workshop “Supporting civil society
initiatives to empower women’s roles in countering violent extremism and
radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT)”, held in Istanbul, Turkey on 13-14 May.
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