DEFENCE MINISTRY REPS HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON PREVENTION OF CRIME IN

CRIME IN $ ARMED FORCES ZAGREB, 20 Sept (Hina) - 'According to our information there is no organised or mass crime in the Croatian army but rather individual cases of crime,' the head of the Defence Ministry political administration, Major General Ivan Tolj told Saturday's press conference on the prevention of crime in the Croatian armed forces. In cooperation with the Interior Ministry criminal police, the military criminal police had arrested 11 persons suspected of committing a set of criminal acts during 1997 on the Croatian territory, Tolj said. The head of the military police administration, Major General Mate Lausic recalled that the military criminal police had developed parallel to the development of the Croatian army and that its members were honourable, and educated and trained so as to be able to cope with any problem concerning crime in the armed forces. The crime rate in the armed forces is decreasing every year, Lausic said. The head of the Intelligence Service Ante Gugic said that crime among professional soldiers, participants of the Homeland war, is a specially sensitive issue, which made the task of military investigators more difficult. However, it is the obligation of the military criminal police to perform their duties consistently and in cooperation with Interior Ministry criminal police, Gugic said. (hina) rm 201534 MET sep 97