DUBROVNIK HOSTS INT. CONFERENCE ON COMBATING COMMERCIAL FRAUD

DUBROVNIK, Feb 19 (Hina) - Croatia could become the permanent coordinator for projects aimed at combating commercial fraud, namely all forms of transborder economic crimes in central and east Europe, participants in a two-day international conference which opened in Dubrovnik on Monday said. The conference has been organised by a commercial fraud combating task force comprising law enforcement representatives of countries making up the Southeast Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI). "SECI has assessed that with regard to customs and police, Croatia is the region's most mature country and should become the operative headquarters of a commercial fraud combating centre," said Katarina Bakija, head of the Croatian Customs Administration, the host of the conference. Said centre would gather, analyse and process data relating to commercial fraud in this part of Europe. Bakija said the Dubrovnik conference should contribute to the efforts Croatia's customs and police were making to combat grey economy. Bulgaria has been entrusted with coordinating a programme combating drug trafficking and Romania with combating trafficking in humans. Croatia became a SECI member on 27 Sept. 2000 after parliament decided to pass a law ratifying an agreement on cooperation in combating transborder crime. SECI comprises Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, and Turkey. (hina) ha