The battle against environmental crime, recognized as a critical security issue, was emphasized during a meeting involving the Ministers of Internal Affairs and Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Development, Danilo Šaranović and Damjan Ćulafić, alongside Police Administration Director, Lazar Šćepanović.

The Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Northern Development (MERS) stated that Ćulafić spoke with Šaranović and Šćepanović about addressing environmental crime as a pivotal aspect of their ministries’ operations.

“The importance of consistent communication between MERS, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Police Directorate was highlighted, focusing on all varieties of environmental crime, especially those that have often gone unnoticed,” the announcement read.

The participants noted that gravel extraction, illegal logging in northern Montenegro, theft in national parks, loss of biodiversity, irregular practices, and corruption as a specific type of eco-crime yield devastating effects on the environment.

“Thus, combating environmental crime is crucial in our efforts,” the participants insisted.

Šaranović, Ćulafić, and Šćepanović underlined the significance of Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić’s initiative to establish an organizational unit within the Sector for Combating Crime or a specialized team dedicated solely to tackling environmental crime.

It was asserted that such a unit would enhance the systemic approach to this growing modern security issue, which poses significant economic and immeasurable ecological risks to society and nature.

“At the conclusion of the meeting, the necessity for collaborative actions among all organizing state bodies, along with informing the public and actively involving the non-profit sector, was reiterated to adequately address this crucial matter,” the statement concluded.

News