SLOVENIA
Tackling transnational crime in Slovenia
Slovenia is located at the heart of Europe. It shares borders with four other European countries and has a coast on the Adriatic Sea. This strategic geographic location makes it attractive to organized crime networks wanting to traffic illicit goods, especially drugs and people, into or from Europe.
Several international organized crime groups operate in Slovenia, focusing their transnational activities on vehicle crime, and trafficking in human beings and drugs. These bring associated crimes such as money laundering and firearms trafficking.
The international characteristics of these crime areas and their links with crime networks around the world make the role of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Slovenia fundamental to maintaining national and regional security.
INTERPOL in Slovenia
Slovenia’ NCB is part of International Police Cooperation Division (IPCD) which sits in the Criminal Police Directorate (CPD). CPD is a specialized criminal investigations unit of the Slovenian National Police (SNP).
By providing globally-sourced intelligence about regional crime trends, the NCB helps police officers across Slovenia detect and investigate the flow of illicit goods along trafficking routes in and around the country.
To boost national security and investigations for national law enforcement, the NCB in Ljubljana has given national and border police access to INTERPOL’s databases on wanted people, stolen passports and stolen vehicles, meaning they can quickly determine if a person is a potential criminal or security threat.
Slovenian national law enforcement
The SNP is an autonomous body within the Ministry of the Interior. It is made up of eight police directorates that control 111 police stations throughout the country.
In Slovenia, the police operate at three different levels:
- General Police Directorate (state);
- Police Directorates (regional);
- Police Stations (local).
A Director General appointed by the Slovenian government heads SNP. Its remit includes criminal investigations, public order, protection of people and property, border control, traffic control and immigration.
