In 2014, the Romanian Border Police aimed at
fulfilling its duties provided for by the national law in force,
both regarding the optimization of border check and efficient
countering of cross-border crime.
In order to carry out its specific duties, the Romanian Border
Police envisaged the achievement of the following objectives:
Achieved performance indicators
Operational field
The traffic values recorded in the border crossing points were of approximately 40.864.700 person crossings (33.994.600 EU citizens and 6.870.100 non-EU citizens) and 11.599.600 transportation means. In comparison to 2013, the traffic value for the persons crossing the Romanian borders increased with 6.15 % (38.459.500 person crossings) and for the transportation means increased with 2.8 % (11.282.300). In 2014, 21.384 illegal deeds were ascertained.Most illegal deeds detected were illegal migration crimes (3.256 deeds) followed by economic-financial crimes, including smuggling with goods (1.654 deeds) and fish poaching (1.034 deeds).The most active borders from the point of view of the detected crimes were the borders with Ukraine and Hungary, where almost 42 % of the total criminal acts were detected. In the field of illegal migration, the border guards detected in the competence area 1.918 foreign citizens involved in illegal migration, most of them acted illegally at the border - organized in groups of migrants, with the support of some traffickers. 339 groups of migrants were detected, in which 230 facilitators were identified. 208 facilitators/transporters (103 Romanian citizens and 105 foreign citizens) as well as 307 foreign citizens attempting to cross illegally the border in Romania and were hidden in transportation means.
Significant case
In 2014, at the Black Sea, 5 groups of migrants were detected, gathering 316 persons who required assistance and first aid from the border policemen taking into account the unsafe boats used by traffickers. At the same time, 9 facilitators were detected, who brought the migrants with small boats into the Romania territorial waters of the Black Sea, for a certain amount of money.
129 economic-financial crimes and 1.336 smuggling and customs fraud were ascertained. 308 persons were detected while crossing or in an attempt of illegal crossing the border, with smuggled goods in their possession. 8.752.157 packs of cigarettes with an approximate value of about 77 million lei, approximately 883.5 kg tobacco was subject to smuggling and 44 groups organized for committing cigarettes smuggling were identified and dismantled and 366 persons were identified.Significant case
On 13.04.2014, following an action in the field
of prevention and countering illegal trafficking with tobacco
carried out at Albita Border Crossing Point, the border guards,
together with the customs employees, detected and seized 76.000
packs of cigarettes amounting to 684.000 lei, that were concealed
in the side walls of a tank heading to Ploiesti municipality.
The vehicle (tractor unit and tank) was driven by a citizen with
dual citizenship, Romanian and Moldovan, Petru T., aged 30, for
whom the border guards drew up criminal file for committing
smuggling. According to the legal provisions, the cigarettes
amounting to 684.000 lei were confiscated and the vehicle amounting
to 157.000 lei was seized until the finalization of the
investigations.
Significant case
On 28.01.2014, the border guards within the
Office for Countering Illegal Migration and Cross-Border Crime -
TIBP Timisoara and the Territorial Service of Border Police Arad -
TIBP Oradea, in cooperation with SRI Arad - Section Arad, under the
coordination of the prosecutors within the
Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Court in
Arad, caught a Romanian citizen in the act while he was trying to
trade to undercover investigators 18 kg of white mercury for the
amount of 9.000 EUR.
Thus, the experts of the Border Police Timisoara and Arad initiated
in 2014 a set of information measures - operational in order to
detect a Romanian citizen in the act, Petru F., aged 66, from Arad,
about which there was information of holding 18 kg of white
mercury.
Out of the developed investigations, it was established that the
man intended to trade the mercury in Serbia or Hungary. The
apprehension of the man was facilitated by the fact that two border
guards, within TIBP Timisoara and TSBP Arad, acted undercover.
On 14.04.2014, the border guards detected in BCP Cenad within
Territorial Inspectorate of Border Police Timiºoara,
800 golden metal coins (approximately 11,2 kg), with the
inscription Franz Josef, 1915.
The preliminary expertise established that the coins were made of
23.6 kt gold.
The 800 coins were handed over to the State Treasury for the
detailed expertise.
Significant case
On 16.06.2014, border policemen within the Coast
Guard acted based on some information regarding the placing into
circulation of counterfeited goods and identified in the port
Constanþa Sud Agigea, a container loaded with
cigarettes coming from Greece having as final destination a
commercial company from Bulgaria.
Upon the control carried out by border guards within the Coast
Guard, together with customs workers of Border Customs Office
Constanþa Sud, 505.550 packs of cigarettes Ashima
and Marble were detected; the cigarettes were suspect of being
counterfeited and amounted to over 1.100.000 EUR.
Significant case
In September 2014, the prosecutors of Directorate for Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) - Territorial Office Arad together with the border guards within Border Crossing Point Turnu - Arad and the policemen within the Division for Countering Organized Crime Oradea stopped the criminal activity of a person suspected of involvement in international drug trafficking. In the BCP Turnu, Arad County, the driver of a truck registered in France, a Turkish citizen, presented with a false passport and who had 56.51 kg MDMA (203.480 tablets) hidden in the walls of the vehicle. On 10.06.2014, at 02.20 a.m., the border guards within TIBP Giurgiu - BCP Giurgiu detected 10 kg of heroin on a Turkish citizen who was travelling as passenger in a truck coming from Turkey and intended to introduce them illegally in Romania. The drugs were concealed on the body of the man, attached with adhesive tape and in a bag detected by the border guards under the bed of the truck’s cabin. He stated that he received the drugs from an unknown person in Turkey and that he had to transport them to Hungary and at destination he would receive 20.000 EUR. 1.034 of fish poaching were ascertained, 1.412 sanctions amounting to 257.750 lei were applied and the following were seized: 85 boats, 80 motor boats, 60.376 m monofilament nets, 1.166 fishing tools - used for fish poaching, as well as 24.650 kg of fish and 16.5 kg of roe.Significant case
In May 2014, the border guards within the Coast
Guard intercepted on the radius of Constanta County two transports
containing fish (ray species), with a quantity of 2.669 kg, which
were intended to be exited from the country without legal documents
through BCP Vama Veche by two Bulgarian citizens and one Romanian
citizen.
It resulted that both transports were sent from a company in
Constanta to a commercial company in Bulgaria. The border guards
seized the van and several fiscal documents in order to carry on
the investigations, and the total quantity of fish was handed over
for capitalization to certain commercial companies according to the
legal procedures.
Cooperation
In 2014, Romanian Border Police was involved in 15 joint operations, a rapid intervention exercise and 3 pilot projects, organized under  FRONTEX aegis.
We may conclude that in 2014 RBP deployed within FRONTEX operations:
142 border policemen (126 as Guest Officers and 16 as SGOs); 2 vessels; 6 thermo-vision vehicles; 5 K9 teams; 26 patrol vehicles;The cooperation through offices / centers / border contact points was developed in the following fields:
countering illegal migration; fighting against forgery in the documents used for border crossing; fighting against the trafficking with stolen/ vehicles with cancelled registration; checking of documents, companies, objects.During 2014, cooperation plans with the similar structures in Republic of Hungary, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova Republic of Serbia and Ukraine were concluded and implemented. Within this framework specific activities with the participation of 465 RBP representatives were carried out.
Utilization of resources
Personnel dynamics
approximately 96,5% employment level with personnel; over 82% of the employees fulfil their duties in the operational field and 18%, within the support structures. ÂThe adoption of these measures led to the following results: 301 cases of resistance to corruption (reporting), the territorial structures of DGA (General Anticorruption Directorate) were immediately notified by RBP workers, an increase by 24% in comparison to the similar period of 2013. Out of the total of 301 cases, 32 represent cases of self-reporting which, ended with a flagrant with the support of the DGA representatives. The most significant cases were recorded at the level of TIBP Iași (BPS Darabani and BPS Berezeni) and TIBP Sighetu Marmației (BPS Sighetu Marmației), the amount of money promised by the perpetrators was 5.000 EUR, and in two self-reporting cases, the authors of the crime promised 50.000 EUR.
Significant case
In May 2014, the border guards within TIBP Iasi,
under the coordination of DGA - Territorial Service Iasi, succeeded
to dismantle an organized criminal group, specialized with
cigarette smuggling originating from R. of Moldova. The criminal
group was very well organized; each member had specific roles for
carrying out the criminal activities as regards crossing the
cigarettes over the border, their transportation and storing in
different facilities and their trading to different customers.
The investigations brought out the fact that the members of the
criminal group promised to an officer within TIBP Iasi, several
times, amounts of money of approximately 50.000 EUR in order to not
fulfill his working duties and to facilitate illegal crossing over
Prut river of some quantities of cigarettes (300.000 packs of
cigarettes).
The border guard reported to his superiors about the bribery
offered by the traffickers and at the beginning of May, the group
was dismantled and 6 persons were apprehended, among which two of
them were policemen from R. of Moldova. The officer was awarded
with the "Border guard of 2014" title.
Non-reimbursable funds
Annual Programme 2012 was carried out in 2010 and finalized on 30.06.2014.
Annual Programme 2013, still in the process of implementation since 2013, with due date on 30.06.2015.
For both programmes carried out in 2014, the budget execution is 98% and represents an increase of 12% in comparison to the budget execution of 2013 (86%), year in which the Annual Programme 2011 was finalized and the Annual Programme 2012 was implemented.
Priorities for 2015
Effort continuation for the maintenance and increasing of the border security degree, prevention and countering cross-border crime; the aim is to enhance the national security; Ensure the necessary of human, technical and financial resources for efficient fulfillment of the missions and offering quality public services; Continuing the training process of border guards, according to the Schengen requests and practices; Increase the absorption degree of community non-reimbursable funds meant for the security of EU external border; Continue the participation in the joint operations coordinated by FRONTEX Agency.