Šaranović: 66 criminal complaints for environmental crimes, Montenegro suffered €8.7 million in damage

As CdM reports, Montenegro’s Minister of the Interior, Danilo Šaranović, has stated that this year alone 66 criminal complaints have been filed in the field of ecological crime, with damage caused amounting to around €8.7 million. Šaranović took part in the work of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, being held from 25 September to 1 October in Abu Dhabi.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, cited by CdM, Šaranović spoke at the high-level session on the theme “Advancing innovative and evidence-based strategies for crime prevention for social, economic and ecological development.” He stressed that the world is facing a transformation of criminal activities, which endanger not only individuals and institutions, but also ecosystems and global stability.

Šaranović particularly underlined that ecological crime has become one of the most profitable forms of organised crime, while economic crime undermines citizens’ trust and causes great damage to state budgets, CdM writes.

He presented the measures Montenegro has already taken, including the formation of specialised units to fight complex forms of economic crime and ecological crime. According to him, Montenegro also takes an active part in international operations such as “Thunder” and “Open WiSE.”

“I am convinced that only through joint efforts, through innovative global strategies and harmonised national strategies, can we make our societies more resilient to ecological and economic crime. With adequate preventive activities we guarantee the protection of citizens and create the foundations of sustainable development and progress – for us as well as for the generations to come,” Šaranović said. According to the Ministry, delegates from more than 110 countries took part in the Congress, which the organisers confirm as the largest gathering in the Congress’s 71-year history, CdM reported.