Author: Dr Kire Babanoski, Dr Ice Ilijevski
Date: 23-Oct-2025
The Balkan Peninsula is a natural geographical bridge between Asia, Africa and Europe and therefore has significant geographical, historical, political, military-strategic and economic significance. As a transit zone, it is still exploited by various criminal networks for the transport of people, narcotics, weapons and other goods to and from Europe, through which criminal networks generate illegal income. But it is not only used for transport. Some of the goods remain here for sale or repackaging. Where does the Balkan route extend? It should be noted that the Balkan route is considered much wider, and the Balkans are only one part of it, which is considered central and important, since it plays the role of a connector between the initial and final destinations of the goods. It starts in Afghanistan (when it comes to the illegal transport of opiates), through Iran (Islamic Republic of) and Türkiye and passes through the Balkan countries (through its three main branches: Northern, Western and Southern) to finally reach Central and Western Europe (UNODC, 2014).
International law enforcement cooperation in the countries of South-East Europe (SEE) is structured through a framework of international, regional and bilateral instruments that establish common rules or regional organisations and initiatives. Theoretically, this means that there are different levels of established cross-border cooperation at which law enforcement agencies interact – macro, meso and micro (Brodeur, 1982). At the macro level, international organisations such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union set common standards in the form of legal documents (declarations, conventions, directives, resolutions, strategies, etc.) with specific obligations for states for a common commitment and coordination in the fight against transnational crime. At this level, SEE countries cooperate with INTERPOL, EUROPOL and EUROJUST, which provide them with law enforcement assistance, criminal prosecution, coordination, intelligence exchange and operational activity. In addition, at the meso level, regional organisations and initiatives tailored to specific geopolitical and security contexts, such as SEE, have been established to facilitate cooperation, information exchange and joint investigations between neighbouring countries. They include: SEPCA (Southeast European Police Chiefs Association), SELEC (Southeast European Law Enforcement Centre), SEEPAG (Southeast European Prosecutors’ Advisory Group) and PCC SEE (Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe), which encourage and facilitate closer police and prosecutorial cross-border cooperation. Also SEE countries receive assistance from organisations such as the OSCE, DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, RCC – Regional Cooperation Council, SEESAC – Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in South-Eastern and Eastern Europe and others. Together, all these organisations/initiatives form a comprehensive network for the fight against transnational crime in the Balkans at the macro and meso levels. On the other hand, at the micro level, states cooperate with each other bilaterally through agreements that offer more flexible, adapted and targeted operational mechanisms to deal with specific forms of transnational crime (Guille, 2013). All these instruments established at different levels create the legal and operational foundations for cooperation and the effective fight against transnational crime.
From an operational perspective, it can be concluded that SELEC stands out as a good example that provides support to investigations into serious and organised crime by member states. In the period from 2013 to 2025 (September), according to the data available on the website, SELEC conducted 72 successful multilateral cross-border operations in the region, covering detection of various types of illegal trade (human trafficking, migrant smuggling, smuggling of cigarettes and cultural goods, drugs and weapons and counterfeit vehicles). This proves the flexibility of SELEC and the Member States in dealing with new emerging security threats. Overall, these positive aspects confirm the key role of international cooperation at the meso level in the fight against transnational organised crime along the Balkan route.
Despite the successful operations conducted with the coordination of SELEC, as well as with the other mentioned organisations, challenges are still observed in cross-border police and judicial cooperation in the SEE region. These challenges are generally of a jurisdictional and operational nature. Criminal networks are also adapting their tactics and methods, and increasingly using modern technology for communication, surveillance, concealment, money transfer, etc., to avoid being caught by law enforcement authorities.
For achieving greater efficiency in international cooperation, communication and coordination along the Balkan route, such challenges will have to be overcome in the future. Countries must continue to actively cooperate at the bilateral level and within the established regional, European and global initiatives in order to conduct joint operations to dismantle transnational criminal networks. Consequently, countries will jointly improve the security situation and reduce the risks of this type of crime along the Balkan route.
References:
- Brodeur, J. (1982). High policing and low policing: Remarks about the policing of political activities. Social Problems, 30(5), 507-520. https://doi.org/10.2307/800268
- Guille, L. (2013). Police and judicial cooperation in Europe: Bilateral versus multilateral cooperation. In International Police Cooperation (pp. 25-41). Willan.
UNODC. (2014). The illicit drug trade through South-Eastern Europe. United Nations publication. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/Illicit_DT_through_SEE_REPORT_2014_web.pdf
