€40 mil. extra to arm vulnerable regions against organized crime

The Cabinet is pushing an extra 40 million euros per year into fighting organized crime in the regions. Each region has its own characteristics and requires its own unique approach to fighting crime, Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius. The extra money must help regions step up their fight against serious crime.

For example, regions with a lot of logistics activity, like seaports and airports, will step up the fight against international drug trafficking. In the border areas, regions will focus on preventing criminals from slipping across the border and disappearing from the radar. And the Cabinet wants to make farmers in rural areas more resilient against criminals using their property for drug production. 

"Criminals take advantage of the situation they find," Yeşilgöz-Zegerius said. "They'll settle in our residential areas, businesses, and outlying areas to carry out their illegal practices if we're not careful. In the regions, we tackle crime at its source and break through structures before entire criminal networks can emerge. We don't just dismantle drug labs in the countryside, but we also stop the supply of raw materials and the export of pills through our ports, cut criminal money flows, and prevent young people from being recruited into a criminal career by drug dealers."

The 40 million euros for regional reinforcements formed part of the Budget Day plans. €10 million will go to strengthen the Regional Information and Expertise Centers (RIECs) and the National Information and Expertise Center (LIEC). In these centers, all authorities in a region - from municipality to the Labor Inspectorate - work together to share expertise and fight organized crime.

The other 30 million euros will go toward strengthening cooperation, knowledge sharing, and implementation and enforcement in the region. Each RIEC will get between 2.5 and 3 million euros extra per year for this.