Bezbednosno Informativna Agencija (BIA, Security Information Agency) is the Serbian intelligence agency. Since 2002 it has been fighting against organized crime. Some of its members carry big weapons. ... An intelligence agency is a governmental organization devoted to gathering of information by means of espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public sources. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ...

External Links

• Official Website

History

Medieval Serbia

Significant written sources from the Serb history regarding intelligence-security activities date from the period of Emperor Dusan’s rule. Emperor Dusan’s Code is the first historically important legal document in which a definition of such activities can be traced. Relying on the Byzantine experience, Emperor Dusan introduced 70 different titles into the administrative structure of his rule, some of which were connected with intelligence-security activities.

From the First Serbian Uprising (1804) until the WWI (1914)

The development of modern security and in certain forms even intelligence activities in the territory of Serbia dates from the beginning of the XIX century, namely immediately prior to and during the First Serbian Uprising. In 1804, at the very beginning of the Uprising, intelligence work was primarily focused on the military-political field. The first examples of double-play, i.e. recruitment of Turkish agents and misinformation with the aim of deluding Turkish population originate from this period. Great importance was given to internal security of the Uprising, and treason, defeatism and espionage were considered as extremely grave criminal acts and were severely punished. The first official document from the era of Karadjordje, important for the development of intelligence-security activities, is the “Nacertanije” of March 1810. In the Article, I of this document for the first time police and military work are separated and the position of the “Head of Police” is established responsible to the Ministry and superior to so-called “liktors” - assistants for the interior, foreign and secret services. At its session in January 1811, the Parliament reached a decision to establish six Ministries, including the Ministry of Interior (“Popeciteljstvo vnutreni dela”). Prince Milos Obrenovic, in the period of his first rule (1815 - 1839), dedicated great attention to the organization of intelligence-security activities. The basic task of the bodies in charge of implementing such activities was to protect the rule of Prince Milos. During his rule, intelligence-security bodies controlled every aspect of social life, dealt with all political and administrative works, meddled in the economic life of the state and were directed towards the foreign policy of Serbia of that time. Gathering and processing confidential data were some of powerful secret weapons of Milos Obrenovic. The institution of a “secret policeman” in Belgrade and a range of commissaries all over the country represented the basis of the state security system. In 1862, the Central State Administration was established in the Principality of Serbia, with seven Ministries, including the Ministry of Interior. Apart from public security, the Ministry of Interior was in charge of the activities, which may be classified as intelligence-security activities. A need for further development of the state protection system led to the formation of special services with clearly divided fields of competences. The tasks of public security were gradually separated from the special tasks of state security. However, at the time of parliamentarism and constitutional monarchy, party divisions within the police system were, however, inevitable. In order to overcome that problem and regain full control over the security system, King Aleksandar Obrenovic decided to establish a special instrument of protection. Upon adoption of the Law on Establishment of the Department for Confidential Police Work on October 17th 1899, the Department for Confidential Police Work was created within the Ministry of Interior. This Department set the basis of the new security structure. Confidential activities were completely separated and placed under the direct responsibility of the Head of the Confidential Department and the King personally.

Between the two World Wars (1918 – 1941)

After World War I, one of the first tasks of the governing bodies was to establish an effective intelligence-security system, which could withstand all internal and external threats. On December 20th 1918, the Ministerial Council (the Government) was formed by the Decree of Regent Aleksandar Karadjordjevic that included the Ministry of Interior in charge of the tasks of state security. In 1920, state security activities were transferred to the newly established Department for State Protection within the Ministry of Interior. This organizational form existed until 1929 when the Law on Internal Administration was passed, dividing the Ministry of Interior into two organizational units:

1) The Directorate for Public Security, which comprised four sections: a) Administration b) Criminal Police c) Traffic Police d) Technical Police 2) The Directorate for National Security, which comprised three sections: a) Political, Head of the Section b) Special Intelligence and State Protection c) Special Security Section

The Political Section represented the Police Headquarters and was tasked with suppressing activities of political opponents to the regime, especially activities of left-wing organizations. The Special Intelligence Section was in charge of counterintelligence work. Special Security Section was in charge of keeping records on persons significant for national security. It organized analytical work and it had the Central Filing Office within its structure.

The World War II (1941 – 1945)

During the World War II, there was dual power in the territory of occupied Serbia. Namely, the quisling Government in cooperation with the German occupier organized police structures including the secret police. In that sense, the units of the Serbian State Guards, the Serb Volunteer Corps and the White Guards represented police forces while the Special Police was in charge of intelligence and counter-intelligence work. The establishment of new partisan authorities in the form of People’s Liberation Boards started immediately after the breakout of anti-fascist uprising. From the very beginning, those governing bodies included bodies in charge of order and security in the liberated territories. Simultaneously with the establishment of the bodies of People’s Liberation Boards, on May 6th 1942 the Second Intelligence office of the Supreme Headquarters issued the Directive on the selection of members of the headquarters for operational units (‘intelligence commissaries’), who would be responsible for the intelligence service. In October 1942, the Temporary Administrative Office in charge of administrative and security activities was founded within the Supreme Headquarters. The Security Service of the anti-Fascist forces began developing in the liberated territories with the aim of preventing the activities of agents of the occupying and quisling forces. In early September 1943, the Office for Protection of People (OZN) was established with the primary task of ensuring counterintelligence protection of the liberated territory. On May 13th 1944, the Office for Protection of People (OZN) was developed into the Section for Protection of People (OZNA) and thus creating an intelligence-security institution as a centralized service organized on military principles with a uniform organizational structure and unique working methods.

From 1945 to now

After the end of World War II, the constitutional founding of new Yugoslavia provided conditions for organizing an overall state administration. The State Security Department (UDB, hereinafter UDBA) was formed from certain parts of the OZNA, the Radio Center and the Ciphering group, which were removed from the Ministry of National Defense, as a centralized intelligence-security organization. The headquarters of the UDBA was at the federal level and it directed the work of the Republic Ministries of Interior, which directed the work of regional sections in provinces. Such an organization was functioning until 1966. After political changes in 1966, the UDB was transformed into the State Security Service (SDB). Authorities of the SDB at the federal level according to the regulations were the following:

1) Struggle against internal enemy; 2) Counterintelligence protection of the SFRY territory from foreign intelligence services; 3) Opposing the anti-Yugoslav political emigration; 4) Protection of political officials; 5) Counterintelligence protection of the Territorial Defense Headquarters and Units as well as buildings of special public interest; 6) Criminal prosecution; and 7) Informing the social self-protection entities on the occurrence of “enemy” activities.

In the Republic of Serbia, the State Security Directorate (RDB) was a part of the Republic Ministry of Interior and performed the activities in the following fields:

1) Counterintelligence activities; 2) Intelligence activities; 3) Prevention of internal extremisms and terrorism; and 4) Security and protection.

From October 2000, a process of overall state reform was initiated in the Republic of Serbia, especially the state administration and its institutions, with the aim of democratization of the society. The first results in creating democratic institutions and opening towards European integration processes in all aspects of life, and especially in the field of security, emphasized the need to carry out a thorough reconstruction of the intelligence-security system. The reorganization of existing intelligence and security institutions became one of the strategic tasks, primarily due to new security trends, new security atmosphere in the country’s immediate surrounding – Europe and the world – while not forgetting new security threats at the national and global levels: internal and international terrorism, production and trafficking in weapons of mass destruction, production, smuggling and trafficking in drugs, expansion of organized crime at the global level, regional conflicts on ethnic, religious and other basis, etc. In view of these facts, at the begging of 2001, the Government of the Republic of Serbia started an initiative and a process of thorough reorganization of the Ministry of Interior as well as drafting and adopting system laws, which would regulate the issues of state defense and security. One of the most important segments of that reorganization concerned changes of the position and the role of the State Security Service, whose position and role within the security system had to be changed in accordance with the overall democratic changes in Serbia. The new service was conceived as an independent and specialized agency of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, demilitarized, with completely new fields of activities and competences, adapted to the current social moment and future needs of the state, connected with the strategic national interests and the concept of national security.

Spehere of activity

The Law on the Security Information Agency of the Republic of Serbia came into effect on July 27th 2002. This Law for the first time in modern Serbian history separated civilian intelligence-security work from the Ministry of Interior.

“The Agency performs the tasks relating to: the protection of security of the Republic of Serbia; the discovery and prevention of activities threatening to undermine or disrupt the constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia; gathering, processing and analysis of security-intelligence and information significant for the security of the Republic of Serbia; informing the competent state authorities about such data; and other tasks defined by the Law.” (Article 2 of the Law on the BIA).

The Agency performs its tasks following the principles of constitutionality, legality, respect of human rights and basic freedoms, proportionality in applying its authorizations, secrecy, subordination, professionalism, objectivity, selectiveness and rationality.

The Agency is aware of the fact that if it wants to follow global trends in the development of regulations in this field it has to be ready for regular adaptation of the future law and sub-legal acts in order to achieve the full effect of the reforms. Great efforts are made to present the Security Information Agency as the protective system of Serbia and to prevent to ever again emerge aspirations to be above the people and the state. The new Regulation on Organization and Systematization of Working Positions in the BIA of 2004 introduced the position of the Inspector General with the aim of improving the internal work control.

The sphere of the Agency’s activities includes:

a) Counterintelligence activities Gathering, analyzing, processing and evaluating information on the activities of foreign intelligence services, individuals, groups and organizations in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, directed against the state security.

b) Intelligence activities Through activities carried out abroad and at home on gathering, analyzing, processing and evaluating information of political, economic, security and military nature, which refer to foreign countries, political, military and economic associations and organizations and which indicate the intentions and possibilities of covert work directed against the security of the Republic of Serbia.

c) Other security activities Prevention of activities directed towards performance of organized crime, criminal acts with elements of foreign, internal and international terrorism as well as the most severe criminal acts against humanity, International Law and Constitutional Order.

See also

• UDBA
• OZNA