Editor's note: details were addded after the third paragraph
Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.29 / Trend , K.Zerbaliyeva /
Azerbaijan Interior Ministry held a meeting today discussing the activities of internal affairs authorities regarding combating crime, ensuring public order and public security, as well as standing tasks over the past year.
"Azerbaijan is one of the most stable countries, both in the CIS and in Europe. In 2009, not only to positive results of previous years were preserve, but also good results in many directions were achieved, as a result of preventive and operational search measures," Interior Minister Col. Gen. Ramil Usubov said during his speech at the joint meeting, the Interior Ministry reported.
During this period, 22 830 crimes were recorded, 21 909 of which were unlawful acts.
Interior agencies and public prosecutor's offices have investigated these acts within their authority. About 88 percent of these crimes did not seriously endanger society and were not particularly serious. Only 11.7 percent of them were serious or heinous crimes.
The number of premeditated murders decreased by 2.4 percent, robberies by 4.1 percent, fraud by 8,9 percent, extortion by 48 percent, vehicle theft by 13.6 percent and car theft by 9.2 percent.
Hostage-taking crimes and banditry are not recorded.
In this period, 87.7 percent of crimes on all subjects have been detected. The Ministry has detected 1,178 more facts compared to 2008. Indicators of detection of serious and very serious crimes improved by 4.5 percent, and deliberate murders by 2.1 percent, the deliberate severe injury to health by 5,6 percent, robberies by 12.5, extortion by 6.8 percent, he said.
One of the main milestones of service activity is detection of other 376 unsolved crimes, 113 of which were serious and very serious crimes, 10 were deliberate murders, 34 were banditry and robbery, 123 were theft and other crimes during 20 years together with prosecutor's offices authorities.
In 2009, 200 crimes, 20 of which were murder crimes and two attempted murder, 26 intentional damage to health, eight banditry, eight robbery, nine theft, 113 theft of vehicles were detected hot on the traces, and individuals committing these crimes have been arrested in a short period.
Usubov especially emphasized that 102 Call Center and "Safe City" Service created at the President's great attention and care to introduce the new information technologies in the activity, have played a positive role in combating crime, providing urgent operational measures against illegal acts.
It is enough to note that on the basis of calls received by 102 Call Center in general 125 crimes, 20 of which are deliberate murder and intentionally causing injury, four banditry cases, eight robbery, 63 hooliganism, 23 theft, seven-theft of vehicles were detected in 2009. At the same time, 1.623 domestic violations were prevented in this period. Also, about 600 administrative violations of traffic rules have been revealed due to the technical capabilities of the Safe City service.
The operations on ensuring inevitability of punishment for crime committing 15,217 people were made criminally responsible, while 2,441 people included in the local and internationally wanted list, and 134 defendants who hid in the CIS and other foreign countries were arrested. The Interpol National Central Bureau defined the place of 67 people internationally wanted in Azerbaijan Republic, and 23 people wanted by the Interpol member-countries.
Good results have been obtained in arresting of persons wanted because of committing serious and very serious crimes. At the same time search operations figure on cases of deliberate murder, kidnapping, banditry, rape in general amounted to 66.5.
Operation on combating against organized crime and its transnational kinds was systematic. As a result of complex operational search activities 436 criminal groups consisting of 955 individuals who have committed serious and very serious crimes, and 24 organized groups consisting of 141 people have been neutralized. About 1,115 illegally stored firearms and over 166,000 cartridges have been seized. Roughly 72 cases of criminal offenses by using firearms have been revealed, which is similar to previous year's index.
As a result of the continuing struggle with the attempts of crime in the area of economic activities 2,107 units of counterfeit paper money worth $194,000 manats have been withdrawn from illegal turnover, 16 cases of manufacturing or selling counterfeit money or securities have been revealed.
Usubov noted the productivity of operations conducted in combating against drug and human trafficking, as well as the prevention of illegal migration of people during this period. As a result of operational search activities of trafficking 1.023 ton of drugs or 372 kg more compared to 2008 have been seized, and 99 criminal groups consisting of 267 people have been neutralized.
The detection of crimes related to drug trafficking has been improved by 12.6 percent compared to 2008, and the import about 400 kilograms of drugs has been prevented. Under "Hush-Hush-2009" operation held by interior agencies as part of complex preventive action, over 453 tons of plantings containig narcotic substances have been found and destroyed.
Measures taken in accordance with the National Action Plan on struggle against human trafficking yielded positive results. In 2009, 80 crimes related to human trafficking were revealed and 76 criminals detained, 25 criminal groups consisting of 55 men were neutralized and 95 victims were determined. Also, 205 persons have been made criminally responsible on 245 facts of unlawful acts against public morality.
Ensuring traffic safety, which was one of the main directions of the activity, eliminating the problems and shortcomings in this sphere and strengthening logistics base of the state traffic police agencies, and as the number of vehicles in the country increased by over 75,000 units, the number of traffic accidents decreased by six, the number of deaths in accidents by 11.6 and the number of injured by 5.8 percent compared to 2008, were focus of the attention.
Internal troops, surrounded by Azerbaijani President,Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev's care, has also expressed their vigilance in protecting security and public order, have not spare their efforts and abilities to protect the legitimate interests of citizens from illegal actions, constantly strengthened the achieved successes and their combat training. Soldiers took an active part in combating against crime, ensuring public safety and special operations, professionally carried out the tasks before them.
During the year, operations on reception of citizens and consider their complaints, in connection with the requirements following from the presidential decree "On measures to accelerate socio-economic development of the Azerbaijan Republic". Supervision of the Ministry, Chief of and offices were taken over 3,600 people, most of the issues raised by them have been resolved on the spot. Applications requiring additional review, have been investigated and brought under control, their owners have been given written answers. At the same time, 1,802-treatment received by e-mail, were recorded and reviewed in a short time they had been given an official response.
In general, transparency in service activity, openness and social direction, as well as operations conducted in strengthening ties with civil society have had a positive impact on the protection of legality in service activity, as a result of which number of crimes decreased by seven percent, the number of persons involved on this basis 10.7 percent.