The security risks proposed and agreed by the government in presented "Reports on the Security Situation" have concerned the internal security and the public order. Further the government approved by its resolution No. 625 from October 8, 1997 the document "Actualisation of Security Risks from the Intelligence Service of the Czech Republic Point of View", which contains the determination of the basic interests of the state, enumerates the overview of partial risk factors endangering the determined state interests, evaluates separate risks from the intelligence services standpoint and suggests countermeasures. The measures are divided into two categories (the active working out of the whole problems and monitoring the problems including the elaboration of the most important knowledge). The above mentioned governmental resolution imposes the obligation to work out the separate problems according to determined priorities. The Ministry of Interior concretised the security risks in the different way, it divides them into military and non-military risks.
5.1.1. Protection of Official Secrets
The bill of the new law on the protection of official secrets was worked out in the course of 1997 under the direction and co-ordination of the Ministry of Interior. The bill, which was approved by the governmental resolution No. 31 from January 21, 1998, is the necessary condition and the basis of the new system of the protection of official secrets in the Czech Republic. It results from the transformation of the political system, economy, the state administration, change of the proprietary relations, the development of the international co-operation and efforts of the Czech Republic to take part in the international structures. The present legal adaptation of the above mentioned problems did not satisfied the contemporary internal needs and was not compatible with the legal adaptation of the European Union and NATO. The changes in the legal adaptation made after 1989 had only the partial character.
The aim of the new law is to define and classify official secrets and determine the way of examining the persons, who are in contact with them. The law presents the summary of areas demonstratively, but not enumeratively, in which the official secrets may or will occur. Edicts of the Minister of Interior, which will go through the comments proceedings, will define what is to be considered as official secret. The adoption of the regulation on official secrets will be accompanied by the increase of the criminal punishment levels for breaking the law on manipulation with official secrets.
The law counts on the establishment of the National Security Office, the director of which is appointed by the government. As from March 1, 1998 the National Security Office has been established as the part of the Ministry of Interior.
„The Directive on Evidence and Manipulation with NATO documents within Departments of the Ministry of Defence" was amended in the Ministry of Defence and the establishment of the departmental sub-register for the acceptance and record-keeping of NATO documents have initiated. The Ministry of Defence will overwork its internal regulations concerning the protection of official secrets, ciphering and archival services after the law on official secrets is brought in force.
In the course of the year the number of persons checked-in on the border crossing points of the Czech Republic slightly decreased. The interest of foreigners to get the permanent residence status has been increasing, the asylum procedure has been misused more often. The number of foreigners who do not legalise their stay has been increasing and the number of disclosed cases of smuggling people across the state borders has increased again.
In 1997 the slight decline of persons checked-in on the border crossing points of the Czech Republic occurred. There were 304 millions of persons (-1,9%) checked-in in both directions in total, 91 millions (-5,2%) of the Czech Republic nationality and 213 millions (-0,5%) of foreigners. The most of the persons and motor vehicles traditionally were checked-in on the border crossing points between the Czech Republic and Germany (40% of the whole number). The use of tourists roads reflects the decline of the checked-in foreigners according to the Directorate of the Alien and Border Police. 98.000 of foreigners were rejected to enter the territory of the Czech Republic on the border crossing points, i.e. 0.1% of the total number of checked-in foreigners.
The highest and equal numbers of checked-in persons from the standpoints of the regions of the Czech Republic report the border crossing points of the Northern Moravia and Western Bohemia, the Southern Bohemia reports the lowest one.
210.311 foreigners with the permanent or long-term residence, 1,489 foreigners with the granted status of the refugee in the Czech Republic and 599 applicants for granting the status of the refugee in the Czech Republic were registered till December 31, 1997 within the territory of the Czech Republic. The number of foreigners with the legal residence increased more than 4 times in the course of 5 years. Nationals of the Slovak Republic (24%) formed the biggest group among the foreigners with the legal residence, then the nationals of Ukraine (21%).
The number of foreigners asking for the permanent residence increased in 1997. 13.559 (+53,1%, +4.702) permanent residences were granted, 1.284 (+237,9%, +904) applications for the permanent residence were rejected. The marriage with the Czech national has remained the predominant reason (50%) as well as the moving in with the relatives (28%). The majority of applicants are the nationals of the Slovak Republic. The total number of 56.281 (+22,8%, +10.444) foreigners with the permanent residence lived in the territory of the Czech Republic till December 31, 1997.
The number of applicants as well as the number of positively proceeded applications for the long-term residence did not change in 1997. 85.299 (-0,1%, -47) long-term residences were granted, 1.765 (-11,4%, -227) applications for the long-term residence were rejected. The employment (66%) and business activities (23%) have remained the most frequent reasons for applications. The nationals of the Slovak Republic formed the biggest groups among the applicants. 153.516 (+0,5%, +749) foreigners with the long-term residence lived in the territory of the Czech Republic till December 31, 1997.
28% of the total number of foreigners with the granted residence in the Czech Republic were registered in the territory of the capital of Prague followed by the Northern Moravia, the lowest number of foreigners is registered in the Southern Bohemia.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs presented 61.044 valid employment permissions for foreigners in the Czech Republic till December 31, 1997. The biggest number was registered in the capital of Prague (17.556). The number of recorded citizens of the Slovak Republic working in the Czech republic was 69.723 persons till December 31, 1997.7
Till December 31, 1997 there were 1.489 foreigners living with the valid status of a refugee in the territory of the Czech Republic and 599 applicants for granting this status of a refugee in the Czech Republic. 2.098 (-114) applications for granting the status of a refugee were registered in 1997, the status of a refugee was granted to 96 applicants. The nationals of Bulgaria have dominated among the applicants, the number of applicants from Iraq and Afghanistan has been growing considerably.
29.339 (+23,8%, +5.634) persons were detained during the illegal way of crossing the state borders in 1997, 27.325 (+29,0%, +6.146) of them were foreigners. The biggest number of illegal migrants has been still found out at the state border from the Czech Republic to Germany. 75% of foreigners illegally crossed the state borders from the Czech Republic till the fifth day after their entry in the territory of the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has still remained the transit country for the journey to the Western Europe. The biggest groups among the detained persons were the nations of Romania (3.879 persons, +63,0%, 1.501) and of the former Yugoslavia (3.569, +11,0%, +367). 204 (-6) foreigners with granted residence in the Czech Republic and 403 (+32) applicants for granting the status of a refugee. 335 (+104) persons were disclosed in the train hiding places. 7,9%, i.e. 2.322 (+929) persons of the total number of detained persons during the illegal crossing of state borders used the invalid travel document. 3.137 (-113) persons repeatedly tried to cross state borders illegally.
More than a half of the total number of disclosed illegal crossings, 16.274, was solved in the Northern Bohemia (+18,8%, +2.578), followed by the Western Bohemia with 5.608 (+53,7%, +1.959) disclosed illegal crossings and the Southern Bohemia with 3.186 (+57,0%, +1.156) illegal border crossings.
The organised people smuggling is closely connected with the illegal migration. There were 22,6%, i.e. 6.627 (+37,2%, +1.797) persons from the total number of persons, who illegally crossed state borders, who used the smugglers services. The nationals of the former Yugoslavia (1.313) and Afghanistan (1.016) predominated according to the absolute number of smuggled persons. The largest amount of smuggled persons of the same nationality in percentage represents the nationals of China (49,5%) and Afghanistan (44%). 209 persons from the 777 smugglers (+20,5%, +132), who helped with the illegal crossing of the state borders, were criminally prosecuted.
Since 1996 the number of foreigners, who were imposed the prohibition of stay because of breaking the laws of the Czech republic, have been increasing. The reasons for imposing the prohibition of stay have been changing. The illicit crossing of state borders predominated among the reasons for the prohibition of stay in 1993, in 1997 it was the breaking of the residence regime. 17.289 (+81,5%, +7.764) foreigners were announced the prohibition of stay in 1997, the nationals of Ukraine were the most represented ones (9.145) followed by the nationals of the former Yugoslavia (1.185).
736 (+99,5%, +367) foreigners were expelled administratively for illegal stay in total, there were 326 nationals of Ukraine among them. 802 (+15,12%, +106) foreigners were expelled judicially, there were 243 nationals of Ukraine and 230 nationals of the Slovak Republic among them.
Above mentioned problems are worked out in details in "The Information on Migration within the Territory of the Czech Republic in 1997".
The development of the organised crime has been influenced by many factors and it is very adaptable to new conditions. The aim of the organised crime is to reach the maximum profit in the easiest way on the one hand and to gain the social and political influence on the other hand. It shows itself by the complex form of committing crimes. Recently regarding the approximation of the Czech Republic to NATO and EU the increasing interest of the organised crime organisations to penetrate to the Western Europe by means of the Czech Republic has been noticed as well as the actions that could have the aim to discredit the entire readiness of the Czech Republic to enter these structures seems to be the further potential danger.
The activity of organised crime organisations is entirely based on the committing of organised crime, its origin is in the classic violent and economic criminality, but also in the property criminality (especially organised car thefts and illegal trafficking of the objects of a cultural value). The criminal organisations coming mainly from the territory of the former states of the Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, South-East Asia, Western Europe (especially Italian criminal organisations) as well as from the other countries (e.g. criminal organisations from Bulgaria) have been operating in the territory of the Czech Republic. Certain indications of the division of spheres of interests are documented. Czech citizens, who ensure so called service by the form of accommodation, invitation letters, legalisation of companies, registration of motor vehicles on themselves etc., are participating on the expansion of foreign speaking groups. "The draft of measures on elimination of the negative phenomena accompanying the institute of "The Invitation for Visit the Czech Republic for Foreigners" was passed for the interdepartmental remarks proceedings by the Ministry of Interior in 1998. In 1997 further groups and persons, who had their connections with the former Soviet Union and whose activity was focused mainly on the financial frauds, were worked out in the territory of the Czech Republic. Screened groups or individuals have closely co-operated with their partners abroad or they are directly active members of the foreign criminal groups. The endeavour of criminal structures to gain the influence in the economic field and the consecutive attempt to affect the state administration too has been continually increasing. The activity of these organisations is supposed to be concentrated mainly on the purchase of the biggest possible quantity of real estate properties and lands in the future. The Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Police warns that if legislative changes do not occur (establishment of the visa regime, making the trade law stricter), the position of criminal structures will strengthen and extend.
The commitment of organised crimes was characterised by the certain developmental dynamics in both quantitative and qualitative areas. The number of crimes of the violent character has been increasing, especially taking hostages (§234a of Penal Code), organised burglaries (§234 of Penal Code), racketeering (§235 of Penal Code). The greatest activities in the territory of the Czech Republic are developed by criminal groups of the former Soviet Union, mainly by commitment of crimes concerning racketeering, taking hostages, burglaries and murders on order. Their uncontrollable movement over the whole territory of the Czech Republic, sophisticated technical equipment and financial background seem to be a problem. The police results in this context are limited by the contemporary technical and material provisions. Asians (the main groups are formed by Chinese and Vietnamese communities), who commit unusually brutal violent crimes solely on their own compatriots, represent the specific group operating in the territory of the Czech Republic. The victims refuse the co-operation with the police. Nationals of former Yugoslavia, especially coming from Kosovo region, have been trying to overtake the influence in the racketeering area.
Officers of the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Police solved 23 cases (52 crimes) and 41 persons (19 foreigners) in connection with the violent criminality.
The activity of the Organised Crime Unit in the terrorism field (as from January 1, 1997 the Counter-Terrorism Department has been operating in the frames of the Organised Crime Unit as the independent executive organisational unit) is focused on the international terrorism and the security risks for the Czech Republic resulting from the terrorism. The building of the information database of terrorism was in progress during the screened period, the survey and the assessment of the international terrorist and fundamental organisations were worked out. The community of nationals of Arabic countries, who stayed in the territory of the Czech Republic already in the past (often collaborators of the former State Secret Police), and further representatives of the Iraqi opposition are concerned for example. They commit the crimes aimed mainly at the organisation of the illegal migration, smuggling, counter-feiting of passports, financial frauds and arms trafficking. The number of attacks against motor vehicles, objects and persons by means of explosives has been increasing in the Czech Republic. The most of them concern settlement of scores, racketeering, intimidation, nobody has taken the responsibility. The presence of the veterans of the war in Afghanistan seems to be the main risk from the part of foreign subjects for the future, it lies in the spread of the militaristic Islam and particularly in the possibility to hire them for the violent actions. The potential danger of the terrorist actions organised by foreign subjects is connected mainly with the aim to discredit the Czech Republic and its entire credibility and readiness for the accession to NATO and European Union.
The Organised Crime Unit registers 39 serious cases of attacks by means of explosives.
In the Czech Republic the internal authorisation process concerning "The Convention on Combat Terrorist Bomb Attacks" adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation has proceeded. Recently the preparation committee for the adjustment of the convention on the nuclear terrorism is operating in the United Nations Organisation. The Czech Republic took the active part, resp. takes part in the separate negotiable proceedings concerning both conventions.
The situation in the field of illegal trafficking of arms and explosives has been almost similar to that in 1996. The export of arms and the military material by means of "re-exports" into the so called "third countries" on the base of forged documents has still remained the dangerous form of illegal trafficking of arms. The arms, the origin of which is in the stockpile of the Army of the Czech Republic, and the occurrence of short fire arms without any identification mark are the further problematic area. The assemblage of these arms is made in the private workshops or the production of fire arms from arms which are not able to shoot. The cases of exportation of prohibited allegedly impaired arms, which can be relatively easily repaired for shooting have occurred. The interest to gain illegally the plastic blasts and explosives (mainly types as Semtex, Perutin and electric detonators) has outlasted. Persons working with explosive materials are the source for obtaining them, thefts of the railway consignments or thefts in stockpiles are another way. The knowledge of illegal business activities with radioactive and strategic materials has been gained in the field of illegal trafficking of radioactive materials. The majority of these strategic materials has the origin in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The Czech Republic has become the place of business negotiations, however in some cases of business realisation. The Organised Crime Unit warns that the connections between nationals of the former Soviet Union and nationals of the Czech Republic has been existing and points out their knowledge of the territory of the Czech Republic.
The officers of the Organised Crime Unit investigated 19 cases (53 crimes) and 31 persons (6 foreigners) concerning the illegal trafficking of arms, explosives and fissile materials.
The character of criminality in the people smuggling area has not changed substantially, however it is possible to notice changes of people smuggling activities (various numbers of refugees of different countries) and further the certain centralisation in crossings organisation have occurred. Foreign nationals (mainly of the Arab, Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese nationality) are the main managing elements of these crossings. The refugees are transported to our territory mostly from Hungary and the Slovak Republic. The people smuggling area is connected with the serious problems - women trafficking and problems of morality. In the course of 1997 the serious criminality was realised especially procuring, breaking of morality, children trafficking, sexual misuse. The sphere of the "sexbusiness" is supported by the net of "pimps", the owners of erotic clubs, marriage broker agencies and groups of persons participating in the production and distribution of pornographic materials. The violence on children has been still growing in this connection. The earnings from the organised prostitution are according to the Organised Crime Unit comparable with those coming from the production and distribution of narkotics and psychotropic substances. The new worked out area of problems in the form of monitoring is the trafficking of human organs. (The aim of the legally political discussions on the international level is to prevent the commercial misuse of trafficking of human organs effectively and in time, the protection of the transplantation medicine is concerned in the wider context).
The officers of the Organised Crime Unit investigated 22 cases (34 crimes) and 36 persons (20 foreigners) in the field of people trafficking.
The increase of the number of seized forged and altered money was noticed in 1997 in comparison with 1996. The increase of forged banknotes concerns mainly 100 USD banknotes, 2.000 CZK and 5.000 CZK banknotes from the domestic currency. Forged banknotes in the value of 1.000 CZK have the decreasing trend. The majority of forgeries was produced abroad in the past. In 1997 there were already 5 counterfeit workshops disclosed and the presumption has existed that there are more of them here. Also the situation in the counterfeit documents area has the increasing drift and concerns a numerous range of documents, papers (counterfeit highway stamps, CD disks, phone cards, etc.). In the course of last years the Czech Republic has become the transit country instead of the former consumer country in the counterfeit money area, which is determined mainly by the increased number of protective elements on banknotes, the preventive activity of the Czech National Bank, the police and the mass media. On the contrary the Czech Republic has become the power in the sphere of counterfeit documents. (The Organised Crime Unit highlights the increasing latent criminality of the economic character in this connection). Counterfeit credit cards are recorder more frequently, the offenders use them for payment in the different country than the owner of the card comes from. Exclusively foreigners have been the victims of this criminality.
Officers of the Organised Crime Unit investigated 43 cases (21 crimes) and 19 persons (3 foreigners) in connection with the forgery.
In the screened period there were not any distinctive changes from the sight of the composition of misused drugs, the increase of addicts, the way of the street distribution and street distributors. The changes were noticed in the method of transportation of narcotics and psychotropic substances and the sources of ephedrin and pervitin. Organisers do not meet with the consignment as they hire couriers or firms for its transportation in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has become the centre of the activity of mainly organised groups of Kosovo-Abanians and Nigerians. The involvement of the citizens of the Czech Republic in the illegal trafficking of heroin has been growing, where Kosovo-Albanians form the dominant group of organisers. The offer of heroin, the transportation of which is provided newly by international delivery services or mail consignments, has exceeded the demand. This trend has been registered in other European countries as well. The white heroin has been still under the domain of Nigerian organisers. Cocaine as still remained on the edge of the consumers interest, however also here the change of distribution by means of the mail has been disclosed. Nigerians in particular are involved in smuggling hashish and marihuana. The most searched for drug is still pervitin cooked in principle from ephedrin. In comparison with 1996, when ephedrin could be found in the illegal market in the relatively big quantity, the year 1997 means its practical inaccessibility in the black market. Nigerians are most probably in the background of the trafficking of cannabis, couriers are often nationals of the Czech Republic. The nationals of the Czech Republic are the couriers of amphetamine relatively often, the number of seized consignments, which are believed to be of the Czech origin, has been increasing in Nordic countries. Information concerning the production of ecstasy in the large extent in the territory of the Czech Republic has not existed, however there exists the suspicion of the organised import to our territory. There still remains the problem in the precursors area that the law enabling to prosecute the persons manipulating illegally with precursors does not exist.
The Czech Republic was according to the knowledge of Organised Crime Unit chosen by organisers of the international trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances as "the safe country" mainly because of very liberal conditions for granting the legal residence permission in our territory, the simplicity of the cover firms establishment with relatively low running expenses, light sentences imposed for drug offences and the high probability to protect the possessions gained from the drug trafficking against the forfeiture (according to the Organised Crime Unit any case has not been known when the court imposed the forfeiture of possessions of the sentenced dealer). On the base of the analysis of realised cases it is possible, according to the Organised Crime Unit, to anticipate especially the further increase of the number of addicts depended on heroin, the establishment of organisations determined only for distribution of heroin, violent solutions of fights for territories and spheres of interests, the increase of efforts to penetrate into the state administration, building and running of big laboratories for production synthetic drugs and increasing the number of the Czech Republic citizens involved in the international drugs trafficking.
The officers of the Organised Crime Unit investigated 83 cases (156 crimes) and 187 persons (15 foreigners) in connection with the illegal drugs trafficking in 1997. The National Anti-drug Department of the Organised Crime Unit dismantled 14 laboratories for production of pervitin, 610 g of pervitin in Germany, 2.200 g of ephedrin in the Czech Republic, 670 g of pervitin in the Czech Republic (+100 pieces of "letters"), 62,5 kg of marihuana in the Czech Republic, 12.000 pieces of ephedrin pills, 10 kg of amphetamine abroad, 3.410 g of heroin in the Czech Republic and 71 kg of heroin abroad. The specialised units of the Customs administration took the significant part in the disclosure of the criminality concerning the illegal drugs trafficking (68 cases of the illegal drugs transportation in the total amount of 94.605,82 g).
The high increase occurred at the crime concerning the illegal production and distribution of psychotropic substances and poisons, it was 51% (+812 crimes) in comparison with 1996. If 383 crimes were registered in 1994, in 1997 it was 2.404 crimes concerning the illegal production and distribution of psychotropic substances and poisons. The extensive expansion of taking drugs among students and the reduction of age in the first contact with a drug.
"The Conception and Programme of the Anti-drug Policy of the Government of the Czech Republic for the Period 1998-2000". In connection with this conception the Ministry of Interior recently prepares "The Conception of the Ministry of Interior and the Police of the Czech Republic in the Field of the Limitation of Misuse of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances for 1998-2000".
The officers of the Organised Crime Unit investigated 776 crimes in total in 1997. According to the territorial division the most of crimes was solved by the City and District Directorates of Plzeň (264 crimes), Teplice (76 crimes) and Brno (53 crimes). The share of foreigners in the structure of offenders has remained approximately the same (18%) as in 1995 and 1996. Activities of organised criminal groups become evident in the whole territory of the Czech Republic, however the separate regions has their own specifications.
The Southern Bohemia has been still notable by the relatively low number of realised crimes (the City and District Directorate of České Budějovice solved 45 crimes /+10 crimes/ and 50 persons /2 foreigners/), in spite of the fact that the increase of both crimes and disclosed offenders occurred there. The work of the officers of the City and District Directorate of České Budějovice is focused on the detection of crimes concerning the tax evasion, fees and similar payments evasion, frauds, illegal armament, thefts, forgery of money and illegal production and possession of narcotics and psychotropic substances and poisons. The criminality of foreigners has not been disclosed in the larger extend so far in this region.
The Western Bohemia seems to be one of the most burdened regions regarding the crimes of the organised criminality (the City and District Directorate of Plzeň solved 264 crimes /+127 crimes/ and 176 persons /34 foreigners/ in total). The development of criminality in this region has not showed any considerable changes in comparison with the previous period. The sphere of drugs has been still dominating (recently the Organised Crime Unit has worked out the community of Kosovo-Albanian persons, who ensure the distribution of heroin mainly to Germany and Nordic countries), further racketeering (especially Ukrainian and Russian nationals, who collect the contributions levied under threat on the businessmen - mainly Ukrainians on the one hand and on the other hand directly on Ukrainian workers working in the Czech Republic). Russian groups are involved in running the majority of erotic clubs, especially in border regions, in the way that after the agreement (or under the threat of violence) with the club keepers they provide them with Ukrainian prostitutes and then profit from their incomes. The police officers from Plzeň see the main risk in uncontrollable flow of foreigners from the Eastern Europe.
One of the hardest attacks of the organised crime has been still registered in the Northern Bohemia too (the City and District Directorate of Teplice solved 76 crimes /+4 crimes/ and 97 persons (11 foreigners). Organised criminal groups have been operating in all bigger towns of this region (mostly in the district of Teplice). Their activity is very variable, they are focused on the women trafficking (besides other cities also in the road E 55, it is organised by nationals of the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Germany and it is directed to Germany, less to Italy, The Netherlands and Austria), on forgery, money alteration (most frequently banknotes of 100 DEM, less 200 and 500 DEM, then banknotes of 100 USD, year of edition 1996) and illegal arms trafficking (offenders from the Czech Republic, Germany and Russia). Violent activities concerning mainly racketeering have the increasing tendency and are committed predominantly by hired Ukrainians, nationals of Tchetchna and Russia. The production and distribution of drugs is extended practically in all districts. Offenders are nationals of the former Yugoslavia, Soviet Union and Arab countries. Drugs are connected with the prostitution, property and violent criminality as well. Car thefts and insurance frauds are directed to the immediate export of stolen cars abroad. The financial criminality could be considered as one of the very dangerous forms of criminality ("money laundering"). One of the greatest risks is the flow of persons committing crimes who came from the territory of the former Soviet Union. These offenders take part in the majority of serious crimes committed in the territory of the Northern Bohemia. Some of them had been in the Soviet army operating in the Czech Republic before and they know the way of work of the Police of the Czech Republic very well. The qualitative increase of criminality can be expected in the future - mainly in the fields of drugs, violent and moral criminality, forgery.
The situation in the Eastern Bohemia seems to be stabilised in comparison with other regions (the City and District Directorate of Hradec Králové solved 7 crimes /-80 crimes/ and 84 persons /14 foreigners/). The criminality of the organised character appeared in the area of the violent crime (racketeering mostly among businessmen), in the field of people trafficking (export of women abroad for prostitution), of drugs ( increasing distribution of pervitin and heroin) and smuggling people in connection with above mentioned (persons from Balkan countries to Germany).
The security situation in the Southern Moravia is unfavourably influenced by the increasing number of foreigners without legal residence permits in the same way as the other regions (the City and District Directorate of Brno solved 53 crimes /-47 crimes/ and 53 persons /12 foreigners/ in total. The most frequent types of criminality of the organised character were violent crimes, illegal trafficking of arms, explosives and fissile materials, people smuggling, forgery and drugs. The import of drugs mainly of heroin is organised especially by nationals of the former Yugoslavia (young people are interested in metamphetamine and ecstasy imported from the Netherlands). The information concerning the smuggling of foreigners to the Czech Republic, persons from the former Soviet Union hired for racketeering etc. has been investigated.
The Northern Moravia, especially Ostrava district, has belonged to regions with the dynamic development from the organised crime point of view (the City and District Directorate of Ostrava solved 15 crimes /-92 crimes/ and 67 persons /4 foreigners/). Groups from the former Soviet Union have been operating here (racketeering, organised prostitution, trafficking of arms and fissile materials) and Yugoslavia (drugs trafficking from the Czech Republic to Switzerland, Germany and Nordic countries), Italian structures (banknotes forgery in Olomouc) and groups from The Eastern Asia. Nationals of Poland are involved in the criminality in Ostrava as well. The cases concerning violent crimes are very latent types of the criminality, victims do not want to co-operate very often because of their fear of the damage of their own or their relatives health. The situation in trafficking of women directed to the Netherlands, Germany and Austria is the same as in 1996.
In 1997 the Material "The Actualisation of the Conception of Combat Organised Crime", which contains a number of concrete tasks imposed to the respective ministers, was adopted by the government by its resolution No. 673 from October 29, 1997. On the basis of this resolution the Minister of Interior will propose "The Draft on the Solution of Problems Concerning the Effective Cover of an Agent and the Special Way of Reporting Information according to § 34, Part 3, Letter a,b of the Law of the Czech National Committee No. 283/1991 Coll. Wording of Subsequent Rules" to the government in June 1998 in order to discussed it and "The Conception of Modernisation of the Visa Proceedings and the Control of Persons at the Borders".
Financial Machinations
In the course of 1997 the knowledge and checked and further worked out information were gained in the fiscal area as well. The Unit for Corruption and Serious Economic Crime indicates again failures of the actions of specialised subjects (the bank supervision of the Czech National Bank, the surveillance over the capital market by the Monetary Fund of the Czech Republic etc.) and not clear legislation (especially the competence of the special laws, which makes the gain of information concerning operatively investigating activities with its subsequent use in the form of the means of proof, impossible. The change of law on activities of the state attorney offices would enable the more effective procedure against the serious economic criminality (the supervision action of the state attorney in the preparatory proceedings).
The increase of the financial criminality in connection mainly with the transformation and privatisation has been according to the Unit for Corruption and Serious Crime influenced by a number of factors. It is especially the misuse of state interventions into the economic sphere, the criminality concerning the damages for creditors, the clash of interests of the heads of state organisations, the criminality connected with the organised crime and tax and customs delicts.
One of the most serious problems is the legalisation of financial means from criminal activities and financial frauds (concerning the field of financial operations realised in connection with granting subsidies joint with savings of the capital, with the realisation of credit activities etc.). The personal connection of the managements of the banks, investments funds and separate shareholders have still remained the risk factor according to the Unit for Corruption and Serious Economic Crime. The above mentioned connection is disclosed as late as a result of "the crash" as the credits granting and investments are covered by the bank event. commercial secrecy. The permanent growth of information and knowledge on the increasing effort of the foreign organised crime to penetrate and subsequently control the fundamental financial sector in our territory (the close connection with the home organised structures has occurred as well).
The Unit for Corruption and Serious Economic Crime solved 28 cases concerning the tax problems. 18 cases were presented for the prosecution (§ 148 of the Penal Code - tax evasion). It solved in total 87 cases in the sphere of the financial criminality, of which 71 crimes concerned the fraud (§250 of the Penal Code), 23 crimes concerned breaking duties in the control of the other person s property (§255 of the Penal Code), 8 crimes concerned the misuse of information in the commercial contact (§128 of the Penal Code).
In the course of 1997 the further measures for the effective combat the legalisation of criminality profits were adopted. The Financial and Analytic Department of the Monetary Fund proposed to the Czech National Bank to initiate the amendment of the Bank Law in order to enable to omit the exception of the obligatory identification at the deposit concerning the deposit book determined to the bearer in the law No. 61/1995 Coll. The change of the amendment of the law No. 337/1992 Coll. on the administration of taxes and fees was initiated. This change will eliminate the discrepancy, when the Financial and Analytic Department of the Monetary Fund is authorised to ask the data necessary for investigation from the tax administrator, however the tax administrator has not the secrecy broken towards the Financial and Analytic Department of the Monetary Fund.
The Ministry of Finance warns that problems in the granting of the public orders field concern financial machinations as well. It has been disclosed in the frames of controls of managing the funds of the state budget that organisations pay to the supplier (law No. 199/1994 Coll. in wording of the law No. 148/1996 Coll.) the higher price than the price of tenders of the competitor was. Differences of tens of millions are concerned. The above mentioned law does not contain the reference to budget regulations and it does not determine the jurisdiction of the Monetary Fund control and territorial financial authorities as well. The supervision of this law was transferred to the Office for the Protection of the Economic Competition. The misuse of the jurisdiction of the local councils event. burgermeisters in the management with the property of the rural and urban districts.
The danger of the corruption results mainly from the fact that its separate forms affect practically all spheres of the social life8. The knowledge concerning the increasing share of organised criminal structures on the separate forms of the corruption activities and the connection of these structures with the home organised criminal structures has been confirmed. The fact that these problems are not solved could influence according to the Unit for Corruption and Serious Economic Crime the "certain" radicalisation of the society in the Czech Republic. The main sphere of interest of the corruption actions was the affection of the state authority during the granting of the state orders in connection with obtaining advantages in the announced public competition and with unrepeated requirements.
In 1997 the Unit for Corruption and Serious Economic Crime solved 11 cases of corruption actions in total, 9 cases were presented for the prosecution (§ 159 of the Penal Code - misuse of the jurisdiction of the public servant).
At the present time the process of the admission of the Czech republic to "The Convention on Combat the Bribery of the Public Servants in the International Business Transactions". The amendment of the Penal Code, the law on income-taxes, the law on accounting and other legal rules.
The development in 1997 confirmed that the number of racially motivated crimes increased. This phenomenon is accompanied by the increasing agressivity and brutality which are demonstrated mainly in attacks conducted against the health or even lives of assailed persons. The social danger of this action is multiplied by the manifestation of the still growing contempt of either human values in general or the authority of state bodies. The continuous decreasing of age of persons committing this criminality and the fact that they are juvenile, event. under-age without any previous criminal past or activity in the frames of any movement or group with the extremism aims have been the negative trends. The indifference is, according to the Police of the Czech Republic point of view, the accompanying and co-operating negative, some times even the sympathy of the part of the public towards extremism manifestations until the moment when such action affects the concrete individual or the member of the own family. Crimes with racial or other extreme meanings were registered with the various intensity in all regions of the Czech Republic. In 1997 the increasing feeling of threat of members of Romany ethnic was the accompanying symptom of this situation. This feeling resulted in the decision of a number of them to leave the country and to ask for the status of a refugee because of the racial discrimination abroad. The similar feeling of threat appeared also at foreign students staying in the territory of the Czech Republic In spite of these facts the manifestations of extremism including racially motivated attacks did not assume mass dimensions anywhere in the territory of the Czech Republic, did not lead to the unstability of the security situation in any of the regions or in the state as a whole and did not endanger the democratic foundations of the state.
In 1997 there were 159 crimes motivated by extremism (i.e. 0,04% of all crimes) recorded in criminological statistics in the territory of the Czech Republic, 229 persons were prosecuted for their commitment. In comparison with 1996 there were the increase of crimes with the extremism meaning (+28). The number of persued persons increased as well (+77). This increase occurred in all regions except for the Southern Bohemia (-2) and the Northern Moravia (-17).
130 persons were legally sentenced for crimes with the racial meaning (+42), 28 of them for the crime against the group of inhabitants or against the individual (§ 196 of the Penal Code), 19 persons for the crime concerning the harm of the health (§ 221 of the Penal Code) and 83 persons for other crimes.
The majority of above mentioned crimes was committed in the Southern Moravia (34) and the Northern Moravia (20), the less of them in the Southern Bohemia.
Numerous conflicts of anarchists and skin-heads provoked mainly by anarchists in the district of Blansko were specific for the Southern Moravia. Main risks are perceived in the possible increase of conflicts of skin-heads and members of the Romany ethnic, the protest of skin-heads against the building of the mosque and finally in the possibility of the increase of the number of supporters of various extremism movements from the young people in districts where the high percentage of the unemployment has existed. In the second half of 1997 the raised activity of mainly supporters and members of the skin-heads movement, which has become very radical, was noticed in the capital of Prague. The number of racially motivated crimes focused on foreigners with the dark skin increased. The number of cases concerning burglaries motivated by attacks on the persons of the opposite opinion spectrum. There were especially the burglaries committed by skin-heads on member of anarchists, punk movement, event. so called "skaters". It is possible to anticipate the increase of the well-organisation of extremists and the commitment of the serious criminality in both the cover and open forms. The danger of the transition of some groups and individuals towards terrorism regarding the easy manipulation with them to the lobbism has appeared. In comparison with 1996 the considerable decrease in all indicators of the screened criminality was registered in the Northern Moravia. The extreme groups still have the different split opinions and are not united in this territory. In spite of the fact that there was the lowest number of crimes with the racial or other extreme motive recorded in the Southern Bohemia, the serious phenomenon occurred - 14 offenders from young people committed the crimes with the racial motive, 5 of them were children, this number represents more than a half of the total number of offenders committing above mentioned kind of criminality.
Supporters and members of skin-heads committed the serious breaking of the public order in 1997 in the same way as in 1996. They were also exclusive offenders of brutal racially motivated crimes committed in the territory of Czech Republic. Victims of skin-heads were mainly the members of the Romany ethnic, then students (including foreign students) with other than white colour of the skin.
The number of attacked foreigners increased from 14 to 25 in comparison with 1996. The most of foreigners were assaulted in the capital of Prague (11 cases) and in the Southern Moravia (9 cases). The foreign student was assaulted and killed in Prague.
Further the mutual conflicts among the supporters of skin-heads and anarchists or other ideologically different groups occurred. The greatest number of these conflicts was recorded in Prague (8) and in the Southern Moravia (17).
The crimes concerning the riotry, the harm of the health, the infringement of the personal freedom, breaking of the house freedom, the violence against the group of inhabitants and individual, the defamation of the nation, race and conviction, the support and publicity of the movements directed to the oppression of rights and freedoms of inhabitants.
Supporters of the skin-heads movement arranged concerts and meetings of skin-heads bands in 1997 in the much greater extent than in previous years. Concerts and meetings of skin-heads were registered in various places in the Czech Republic in 1997 in the same way as in 1996. The capital of Prague was the exception as these activities have not been organised on its territory. The foreign participation was confirmed for some of these actions. The racial and fascist manifestations accompanied the organised meetings, concerts and demonstrations, however it is very difficult and complicated to prove this criminality.
In 1997 there were more activities of supporters of anarchists (demonstrations, marches and one concert) typical for Prague. The remarkable increase of actions organised by the skin-heads supporters occurred in the Central Bohemia - 10 (in 1996 they were 3).
The whole problem of the criminality with the racial or other extreme meaning is described and analysed in details, including the set of adopted and proposed measures of respective departments9, in the material "The Report on State Authorities Proceedings Concerning the Prosecution of Crimes Motivated by the Racism and Xenophobia or committed by Supporters of Extremism Groups". This material was negotiated in the government by the resolution No. 192 from March 19, 199810.
There were 9.217 (-5,44%) offenders of the criminality from the whole range of the children (until 15 years of age) and 11.125 (-16,93%) of young people (15-18 years of age) disclosed in the screened period. The criminality of young people is typical by its brutality and aggressivity (the youth committed 11 murders and 703 burglaries) and it is committed in groups very often. The Directorate of the Criminal Police warns about the increasing extent of the tolerance of some schoolmasters and parents to e.g. "the chicanery", the violence among children etc. The share of children in the total amount of offenders with 7,8% (-0,4%) has been stagnated, the share of young people has been decreased to 9,4% (-1,9%). The great share of children-offenders in the total amounts of offenders still have remained at crimes concerning fires (60,3%), pocket thefts (22,9%) and burglaries (9,5%). The greatest share of youth in the total numbers of offenders is at crimes concerning car thefts (24,6%), thefts of objects from cars (22,8%) and burglaries (18,0%).
In total 6.423 young people were sentenced most frequently for property crimes (3.371 persons).
The children committed 12.086 (+0,2%) and young people 19.139 (-15,8%) clarified crimes. The number of crimes concerning intentional harms of health increased (+13,0%) and the number of moral crimes committed by children (+8,0%) as well. In 1997 there were 3 murders (+2 crimes) committed by children that is very alarming. There is a great share of children in clarified crimes concerning fires (46,4%), pocket thefts (32,6%), thefts of objects from cars (25,7%) and burglaries (11,8%). The great share of young people in clarified crimes concerning car thefts (28,5%), thefts of objects from cars (28,0%) and burglaries (24,2%). Young people committed 8 murders (-1 crime) in 1997.
The numbers of offenders - children and young people have been almost equalised in some regions. In the Northern Moravia there were 2.1089 children and 2.386 young people investigated and prosecuted, in the Northern Bohemia the number of children offenders even has risen the number of young people offenders (1.821). The highest amount of offenders - children and young people has still remained in the Northern Moravia, where in the same time the number of children offenders has grown most considerably (+5,1%).
There is a great share of offenders - children in the total amounts of crimes concerning fires in all regions, it is 25% and more in the territory of the capital of Prague until 75% in the Southern Bohemia. There is a very alarming share of children in total numbers of offenders of burglaries into the weekend houses in the Southern Bohemia (36,6%), burglaries into flats in the Northern Moravia (18,2%), pocket thefts in the Eastern Bohemia (41,2%) and burglaries in the Northern Bohemia (16,6%). The share of children offenders in the total amounts of clarified crimes is greatest at crimes concerning fires in the Southern Bohemia (69,0%)
The share of offenders - young people in the total amounts of offenders committing car thefts was higher than 20% in all regions, 28,2% in the Eastern Bohemia, the share on burglaries was the highest in the Central Bohemia (23,6%). In accordance with the above mentioned data there is a very high share (more than 20%) of young people in the total numbers of clarified crimes concerning burglaries (only in the Southern Bohemia 17%), car thefts and thefts of objects from cars in all regions.
The criminal base for the development of the later criminality is created also by the criminality committed on young people (5.386 cases). The most serious cases were following: 27 persons were murdered, 46 cases of disclosed maltreatment of the protégé person, 988 cases of the sexual interference, 189 violations, 800 cases of the chicanery.
One of the priorities of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is mainly the protection of young people against socially pathological impacts. The social assistants have been working, besides trustees, on the development of special "low-hearted" establishments (the activization of own abilities of young people). "The houses on the half way" are being constructed according to the government resolution No. 209/97 for the group of young people returning from the school establishments for the execution of the institutional and protective education. The projects called "The Bridge" are prepared for young people disadvantaged in the labour market (who did not finished studies or apprenticeships, etc.).
The Ministry of Justice considers the increase of the effectiveness of re-socialisation programs as the priority especially at young offenders. The school teaching of apprentice subjects has been initiated for young people (232 young people gained or increased their qualification).
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Training has been concentrated mainly on the primary prevention of the socially pathological phenomena and on counselling services in the secondary prevention. Pupils are taught about the principles of the security behaviour, teachers are reminded of the identification of the syndrome of maltreated and abused children, newly established Centres of the Educational Care are dedicated to the therapeutical care of children from families endangered by the social pathology etc. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Training worked out the Minimal Preventive Program - The School without Drugs. This Ministry has solved the improvement of the re-socialisation activity effect on pupils of the school establishments for the execution of the institutional and protective education by the adjustment of the regime and by strengthening of the personal security. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Training has, in the frame of the general prevention against the socially pathological phenomena at young people, supported financially the activities of citizens associations of children and youth and associations of people working with children and youth focused mainly on spheres of the meaningful filling of the free time of children and youth11.
The number of crimes concerning the property criminality has stagnated. The Police of the Czech Republic registered in total 304.039 crimes (+0,8%, +2.312 crimes) of the property criminality, i.e. 292 crimes on 10.000 inhabitants. Simultaneously the number of clarified crimes slightly decreased (-1,0%) and the clarification amounted 26,2% (-0,5%). In the frames of the property criminality the decrease of burglaries is very positive (-3,9%), their share in the whole criminality represents 23,4%, the increase of the simple thefts is negative (+3,0%) with the share of 44,9% in the whole criminality. The property criminality represents 75,3% of the whole criminality.
From the territorial standpoint the majority of disclosed crimes of the property criminality was traditionally committed in the territory of the capital of Prague - 89.203 crimes (+3,5%, +2.994 crimes), i.e. 85,6% of all crimes committed in Prague. The most remarkable increase was in the Central Bohemia (+9,4%, +2,921 crimes) and in the Southern Bohemia (+6,5%, +796 crimes). The notable decrease of the whole property criminality occurred in the territory of the Eastern Bohemia (-4,3%), Northern Bohemia (-3,3%) and Northern Moravia (-3,0%).
In 1997 there were 94.603 burglaries (-3,9%, -3.869 crimes) disclosed, it means that the trend from 1994-1995 in decreasing of burglaries has continued. This development is accompanied by the decline of the number of clarified crimes (-5,2%, -1.287 crimes) and the lower clarification (-0,3%) as well. The decline occurred also in disclosed damages in the frame of burglaries, which amounted to 3.442.257.000 CZK (-9,4%). The decrease of the number of burglaries is positive concerning the security risk in burglaries into flats (-3,5%, -470 crimes), 13.068 of them was registered. Money, jewels, antiques and electronics have remained the most frequent objects of interest of offenders. This trend is documented also by the increase of disclosed damages amounting up to 701.335.000 CZK (+13,8%). Offenders have been still mainly habitual offenders, young people and also foreign nationals. The number of 16.982 (-5,2%, -930 crimes) disclosed burglaries into recreation buildings means the decline of this security risk as well. Offenders have come mainly from habitual offenders, they are interested especially in objects for their own need. Other group of offenders is interested in valuable objects and the old ordinary furniture made from the piece wood, however they commit these crimes mainly "to order". There were 44.426 (-1,25%) burglaries into the other buildings registered. The organised criminality focused especially on buildings with the supposed accumulation of huge amounts of money and jewels deposited in safes (+4,9%).
The increase of the number of burglaries was registered only in the Central Bohemia (+9,7%, +1.441 crimes). Burglaries into flats were most remarkably decreased in the Western Bohemia (-19,6%), the greatest increase was noted in the Central Bohemia (+14,7%). Numbers of burglaries into recreation buildings in single regions either stagnated or declined, their notable increase was in the territory of the capital of Prague (+16,1%, +125 crimes) and in the Eastern Bohemia (+8,4%, +144 crimes).
There were disclosed 181.209 crimes (+3,0%, +5.284 crimes) concerning simple thefts, at the same time the number of clarified cases slightly increased (+1,8%), however it did not lead to the rise of the clarification (-0,2%). This trend is accompanied by the increase of disclosed damages up to 6.403.369.000 CZK (+5,7%) as well. The substantial increase in the frame of simple thefts occurred at the thefts of objects from cars (+9,7%, +5.707 crimes), 64.515 of them were registered, and at the car thefts with the number of disclosed crimes 29.422 (+6,9%, +1.805 crimes). Simultaneously the distinctive rise of damages resulting from the thefts of objects from cars was registered up to the amount of 1.133.960.000 CZK (+29,2%). There was the stagnation concerning the level of disclosed damages at the car thefts, the amount was 3.807.983.000 CZK (-1,4%). This criminality is committed by the organised groups of offenders and the increased occurrence of insurance frauds is connected with it. In 1997 the search for 23.878 cars (+10,1%, +2.179) was announced, 5.546 of them were found. In total 7.624 cars were found. The number of pocket thefts (10.791 crimes) decreased of -4,5%, -539 crimes. However, it is possible to presume that the real information on pocket thefts has still remained in the latent level.
From the territorial standpoint there was the distinctive increase of the simple thefts in the Central Bohemia (+10,3%), where the highest number of thefts of objects from cars was registered as well. Car thefts seem to be the problem in all regions except for the Eastern Bohemia, where the decline of -5,7% occurred. Special teams established in order to decrease the pocket thefts take part in the combat pocket thefts (e.g. "Pocket Team" in Prague).
In the field of cultural sights there were 139 crimes (-6,7%) concerning thefts in the buildings with the antique or artistic objects. This decline, however, is accompanied by the high increase of damages (+367,5%). 346 burglaries (-9,42%) to buildings with antique and artistic objects were disclosed, but also here the decline is accompanied by the rise of damages (+15,1%). According to the assessment of professionals the annual damage caused on the cultural heritage by the criminality amounts to one thousand million CZK. False certificates issued by unauthorized institutions are presented to the majority of stolen objects. The breaking of law on export and sale of objects with the cultural value has been discovered especially from the part of antique dealers. The trafficking of these objects became interesting for the organised criminality. The structure of stolen objects (paintings, sculptures, arms, liturgical objects, entire collections of artistic objects) documents the qualified typing of objects. Besides the traditional interest of the objects of art mainly of graphic and plastic arts, the increased interest is concentrated on archival documents and rare prints. The information on the plunder of the archaeological localities have continued as well as cases of forgeries of objects of art.
Crimes concerning frauds (11.472 crimes) in the frame of the property criminality, which increased in 1996 of more than 27% in comparison with 1995, decreased in the screened period (-4,5%, -539 crimes).
The development of detected frauds is unequal, from the increase +33,2% (+120 crimes) in the Southern Bohemia to the decline of -29,5% (-281 crimes) in the Eastern Bohemia.
Assaults of postmen/postwomen, post-offices or burglaries to the post-offices seem to be another type of the property criminality. In 1997 there were 24 cases of assaults of postmen registered (the damage was 988.000 CZK), 74 (+26) cases of assaults of post-offices with the damage of 40.716.494 CZK and 58 (+7) cases of burglaries with the damage of 6.919.000 CZK. 65% of assaults were committed in the small post-offices in the suburbs of the cities and in the country. The Czech Post-office has been establishing a great number of technical protective measures (the connection with the counter of the Central Building Security, construction of security boxes and counters, etc.).
The number of detected crimes of the economic criminality in 1997 remarkably increased in comparison with 1996. 30.156 crimes of the economic criminality (+18,1%, +4.617 crimes) were disclosed in total, in the same time the number of clarified crimes increased (+20,6%) as well as the clarification (+2,0%), which amounted to 94,2%. The dynamics of the growth of this criminality increased again in 1997, since 1992 the increase of the economic criminality of almost 39,3% has occurred. The growing number of disclosed and clarified crimes of the economic criminality corresponds with the intensified efforts of the respective units of the Police of the Czech Republic. 79% of crimes of the economic criminality was solved and clarified by the Criminal Police and 14,2% was clarified by the Public Order Police. Damages caused by this criminality amounted to 17.260.826.000 CZK (+11,1%), their share in all damages represents 58,3%.
The greatest increase of the economic criminality in both percentage and absolute numbers was in the Southern Moravia (+42,4%, +1.383 crimes), the notable growth was registered in the capital of Prague (+40,6%, +1.376 crimes) and in the Northern Bohemia (+40,4%, +1.102 crimes). The decline was only in the Northern Moravia (-11,9%, -462 crimes).
In 1997 the number of frauds (+17,4%, +1.978 crimes) increased, 13.357 of them were registered and they represented the highest share (44,3%) of the disclosed crimes of the economic criminality. Damages caused by frauds were 6.964.331.000 CZK, (+13,9%). Invoice frauds have remained in connection with the frauds, the actions of offenders is based on more qualified ways in covering the subjective features. The fraudulent activities with the use of counterfeit or stolen documents have prevailed. The classic form of frauds is being transferred to the area of so called decadent offences, damaging or favouritizing of the creditor. Insurance frauds have remained the high-risk area (cars, the overvaluation of damages caused by car accidents, burglaries). During the fake car thefts the offenders are often concentrated on cars used on the base of the leasing. Frauds in the financial and bank sphere seem to be the serious criminality. The misuse of credit or bank cards is the frequent device of the criminal activity connected mainly with pocket thefts with the higher degree of the organisation (the net of pocket thefts offenders and credit cards middlemen and traders). The cases of fraud withdrawals of cash money by means of stolen credit cards through the electronic payment terminal. Crimes of the defalcation, which share the economic criminality by 22,1%, were registered in 6.675 cases (+29,2%, +1.510 crimes), the disclosed damage increased on the amount of 3.280.801.000 CZK (+182,8%).
Tax evasions (according to §148), 911 (+139) of which were registered, have belonged for the long time to security risks, the danger of which is connected with high damages (they amounted to 2.008.874.000 CZK). The fake imports of a spirit and its distribution, fraudulent taking of the synthetic spirit and tax evasions during machinations with oil products belong to the most serious cases at the consumer tax. Further criminal activity seems to be the fact that payments for the social and health insurance are not being paid.
Machinations with valuable papers and shares, thefts in funds, the misuse of secret information (it could influence rates of valuable papers), thefts and sale of database of investment funds etc. are the most spread forms of criminality at the capital market. The basis of machinations in the capital market is the personal and financial connection of firms, which deal with valuable papers among themselves. The highest amount of crimes connected with the economic discipline and economic competition concerned mainly the level of mispresented accounting data (§125 of the Penal Code), 56 (+10 crimes) of them were registered with the total damage of 301.212.000 CZK. 17 (+8 crimes) in total with the damage of 98.835.000 CZK were registered in connection with the misuse of information in the commercial contact (§128 of the Penal Code). As far as telecommunications are concerned the card stimulators, illegal connection to lines of the united telecommunication net etc. are the most frequent forms of criminal activities. In the field of illegal business, in which 229 (+21) crimes were registered with the damage of 39.400.000 CZK, the cases of the illegal arrangement of an employment or studies abroad and illegal running of black casinos and automatic gambling machines have still overlasted. The criminality concerning the storage and liquidation of the wastage have remained the highly latent problem in the area of the living environment. (The database of all protected kinds of flora and fauna was created for the area of the living environment, which should contribute to the decreasing of illegal transactions).
The criminality in the sphere of the spiritual property includes the area of rights for protective trademarks, the commercial name and protective signs of the origin, industrial and author s rights and the sphere of the computer criminality. The protection of the spiritual property is connected from the internationally-legal and internationally-commercial point of view with the realisation of obligations of the Czech Republic resulting from the TRIPS agreement (The Agreement on Commercial Aspects Concerning Rights of the Spiritual Property) and from negotiations concerning the preparation of the Czech Republic for the admission to the European Union. Crimes concerning breaking of author s rights (650 crimes, +410 crimes) with the damage amounting to 7.900.000 CZK and breaking rights for protective trademarks, commercial name and protective signs of origin (511 crimes, -236 crimes) with the damage of 1.900.000 CZK represented the fundamental part of this criminality. Regarding the crimes of breaking rights for protective trademarks there were mainly the cases of the sale of products illegally marked by the protective trademarks especially from foreign producers. Regarding the breaking of author s rights the cases from the area of production and distribution of audio and video cassettes and records dominated, cases of the software piracy only in the small extent. Crimes concerning breaking of industrial rights stagnated, 4 crimes were registered. Regarding the criminally-legal point of view the connection with another criminality is concerned, mainly tax and customs offences. The computer criminality has remained the dangerous factor, it is demonstrated besides the classic form of damage and misuse of records on the information diskettes (§257a of the Penal Code) also by the form of the abuse of credit cards and it is hidden mainly under the crimes of frauds in the financial and bank sphere, embezzlements or tax crimes, where the attack on the computer or its program equipment represents the means for commitment of another crime.
The number of crimes concerning the violent criminality has been still increasing. In 1993 there were 19.820 crimes of the violent criminality registered in total, in 1997 there were 23.223 crimes. The dynamics of the growth slightly decreased. In 1995 there was the increase of 7,6% (+1.535 crimes) in comparison with 1994, in 1996 of 5,1% (+1.113 crimes) in comparison with 1995 and in 1997 the increase was +1,7% (+398 crimes) in comparison with 1996. The number of clarified crimes slightly increased (+1,5%) in comparison with 1996, the clarification with 79,9% (-0,2%) remained on the same level as in 1996. The number of disclosed crimes of the violent criminality has been permanently influenced by the continuously repeating factors, the most problematic of which is the alcohol (20,4%) and the relapse (31,1%).
The rank of regions according the number of disclosed crimes of the violent criminality has not changed substantially. The majority of crimes was traditionally committed in the Northern Moravia (5.636 crimes), the small decline of the number of registered crimes of the violent criminality (-0,8%) is positive. The considerable increase occurred in the Central Bohemia (+7,1%), in the territory of the capital of Prague (+5,9%) and in the Northern Bohemia (+4,7%), which took the third place in the number of disclosed crimes of the violent criminality ahead of the Southern Moravia. The greatest decrease was noted in the Eastern Bohemia (-5,3%).
There were 291 murders (+9,0%, +24 crimes) with clarification of 86,6% (+2,0%) registered by policemen in the screened period. 321 persons were victims of lethal attacks, 115 of them were women, 44 foreigners, 13 children and young people. 167 persons (-36) were jurisdictionally sentenced for the crime of murder. The qualified preparation has been more frequently discovered in the acting of offenders. According to the Directorate of the Criminal Police some of murders are committed by hired foreigners, who leave our territory immediately after the criminal action. The devastation of victims is considerably great in order to make the identification more difficult. 180 (-3,8%, -7) dead bodies of undetermined identity were registered in the screened period, 144 (80%) of them were identified.
The highest increase of murders occurred in the Northern Bohemia (+73,9%, +17 crimes) and in the territory of the capital of Prague (+26,7%, +12 crimes), which with its number of 57 murders achieved the first place instead of the former third one among regions. The decline of 11 murders was registered in the territory of the Southern Moravia.
The crimes of burglaries (4.751 crimes) increased (+11,0%, +470 crimes), in the same time the clarification decreased on 42,2% (-3,7%). The endeavour to achieve the payment of debts and the intimidation of the competition are the most frequent motives. Burglaries of financial institutions (+126,4%, +19 crimes) and post-offices (+45,7%, +21 crimes) have represented the big growth. Offices of firms and camions with various products have become subjects of interests, the number of burglaries of TAXI cars and petrol stations has increased. The latency has been noticed in burglaries committed on high-ways (so called "payment for the passage").
The increase of crimes concerning burglaries have dominated in following regions: The Southern Moravia (+32,7%), the Central Bohemia (+26,8%) and the territory of the capital of Prague (+21%). The decrease or stagnation of the number of burglaries occurred in other regions.
The crime of the intentional harm of the health has still remained with the number of 7.654 (-1,7%, -133 crimes) the most frequent criminal act of the violent criminality with the share of 33,0% (-1,1%). The number of crimes concerning the breaking of the house freedom (+3,6%, +106 crimes) and racketeering (+0,7%, +15 crimes) increased, on the contrary the number of crimes concerning the violence and threats against groups of citizens (-6,0%, -12 crimes) decreased.
Fires increased of +12,5% (+317). The share of intentionally started fires (589, +48,8%, +196) represents 21% of the total number of fires (2.850). Mainly the solution of relations of businessmen is the motive. 18,9% of fires resulted from technical defects.
There were 54 (+63,6%, +21) explosions registered, 15 of them were clarified. Increasing attacks committed by means of boobytrap explosive system against the property (cars, offices, flats, family houses, etc.) have become the dangerous factor like the form of a threat connected predominantly with racketeering or illegal activities of interested persons.
5.2.5. Breaking of Public Order and Vandalism, Street Criminality
In 1997 there was not any serious or wide-ranging breaking of the public order in the territory of the Czech Republic. A number of preventive measures from the side of basic units of the police contributed to this fact. The overall state of the public order is influenced by other security risks, especially racial conflicts, the criminality of some groups of young people and street criminality, let us say the criminality committed in the streets of the cities and villages. Especially simple thefts (car thefts, thefts of objects from cars and pocket thefts) and some expressions of the violent criminality such as robbery assaults, which have the increasing tendency, can be included in here. The state and the development of this criminality is analysed in details in respective chapters of above mentioned risks. Stated security risks affect the overall state of the public order according to the quantity of their occurrence very much and they impact a level of the security feeling of citizens in separate territories.
The substantial increase of crimes concerning car thefts, thefts of objects from cars, burglaries and murders occurred in the territory of Prague.
The number of disclosed crimes of the moral criminality decreased considerably, however this decline can be caused by the still very high latency. 2.000 crimes of the moral criminality (-19,5%, -484 crimes) were registered by the Police of the Czech Republic in total. Identically the number of clarified crimes decreased (-20,7%) as well as the clarification (-1,4%), which achieved 88,9%.
The high latency, decreasing number of disclosed crimes of the moral criminality are the same trends in all regions, the stagnation occurred only in the Western Bohemia (+4 crimes).
120 crimes (-23,6%, -37 crime)s concerning the procuring and 13 crimes (-62,9%, -22 crimes) of women trafficking were registered, which also demonstrate the high level of latency. The prostitution, which is directly connected with the procuring, has remained the lasting problem. It moves step by step from streets and open areas into various pensions, bistros etc. The decline was registered at crimes of the violation, 655 of them (-3%, -23 crimes) were disclosed. The dissemination of the children pornography mainly by means of Internet in the Czech territory has remained the serious problem. There were 992 crimes (-24,6%, -324 crimes) of the sexual abuse registered. The increasing number of detected cases of the maltreatment of the person under the trusteeship is caused by the increasing confidence of citizens in the police work (so far this area showed more or less the high latency, its investigation is very complicated and it is announced only very exceptionally).
5.2.7. Safety of the Road Traffic
In 1997 there were 198.431 (-1,6%, -3.266) traffic accidents registered in the territory of the Czech Republic, during which 1.411 persons (+1,8%, +25) died, 6.632 persons (+0,2%, +11) were heavily injured and 30.155 persons (-3,6%, -1.141) slightly injured. Material losses were estimated on 5.980.000.000 CZK (-1,2%), their decrease was noted for the first time after 10 years.
Drivers caused 92,5% of traffic accidents, 75% of them were caused by personal motor-cars drivers. The main cause of accidents is the wrong way of driving (59,9%) and the inappropriate speed (17,2%), which caused the majority of deadly injuries (575, i.e. 48,5%). 9.771 accidents (+1,1%) with the share of 5,1% from the total number of all traffic accidents and more than 12% from the number of killed persons were caused under the impact of an alcohol. In spite of the fact that children caused the majority of pedestrians accidents (40,5%), the decrease of all basic indicators of accidents caused by children is positive (mainly -8,0% of the number of accidents, -36,4% of the number of killed persons). Almost 77% of traffic accidents occurred in villages, the majority of people was killed in the motor-ways of the first class (544, +3,2%). In the last three months of 1997 (in comparison with the same period of 1996), when the amendment of road traffic regulations came to an effectiveness (especially the reduction of allowed maximal speed of driving on 50 kms/hour), the decline of all basic indicators occurred in villages: traffic accidents (-9,5%), the number of killed persons (-18,5%), the number of heavily (-24,7%) and slightly (-27,2%) injured persons and estimated material losses (-26,9%)12.
From the territorial division standpoint the majority of accidents were in the territory of the capital of Prague (39.473), where, however, the lowest number of killed persons (90) was in consequences. The most of killed persons was in the territory of the Northern Moravia (264, +39 persons).
The conception of the accidents prevention in the road traffic will be based on the Action Program on the Road Traffic Safety prepared by the Secretariat of the Government Council for the Road Traffic Safety (it will be presented to the government in the third quarter of 1998).