

Adrian Shtuni, a foreign policy and security specialist, explains the importance of understanding the nexus between organised crime and extremist organisation in order to find the most effective ways to respond. This phenomenon thrives in places with high social, political and economic instability. Additionally, the organised crime-extremism nexus is constantly morphing, and he stresses that researches also need to be constant. Finally, he talks about the need for cooperation and coordination between states in tackling the transnational component of these crimes. At the same time, the main problem is the lack of trust between neighbouring countries in the Balkans.
The most important actor for the fight against organised crime is the state, emphasizes Giorgio Fruscione, a research fellow at the Italian Institute for international political studies. He states that this connection is mostly made through a “marriage of convenience”, a term that describes a relationship where the two sides agree not to interfere with each other’s business. Actually, the closer this relationship is, the more dangerous these groups are. Unfortunately, their role is often underestimated, as they act as logistic hubs for attacks happening outside of the region.
Ruggero Scaturro, a Senior Analyst in the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised crime, says that while a lot of material exists both on organised crime groups and terrorist groups, not a lot has been done in order to understand the extent of resource-sharing between them. A generalized approach to this topic is wrong and we should adopt a case by case approach, differentiating these relationships based on their duration, how big the phenomenon is and what kind of crime they are actually involved in. An important resource for operating this groups are young people who are engaging in its illegal activities for financial benefit, known as “easy money”.

With these remarks Jovana Škorić, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, adds the connection between crime and extremism is evident in a large number of minors, particularly adolescents, involved in criminal activities, with hooliganism being the most prominent. Parental involvement is necessary for the creation of support networks, because “children are not the problem, they are the targets”. Having the goal of creating a safer environment for our children, we need to identify the root causes of affiliation with criminal groups, focusing on education and prevention for both minors and their parents.
At the end of the panel, the audience raised the issue of Russian influence in Serbia, which sets it apart from other countries in the region. In response to questions from both the audience and the moderator, Fatjona Mejdini, Director of the South Eastern Europe Observatory, the speakers agreed that Russia’s influence is significant and highlighted its continuous efforts to strengthen its presence in the region.