State Security
State security policing has the task of combating politically motivated crime. Offences are attributed to this field of crime if the circumstances of the act and/or the offender's motivation indicate that they have been committed in order to exert influence on the democratic process of the development of free will, that they serve to achieve or impede political objectives, or that they are directed against the implementation of political decisions. In this respect, extremist and terrorist offences constitute the most serious manifestations of politically motivated crime. The prevention and suppression of such offences have top priority in the execution of the Bundeskriminalamt's duties - especially against the backdrop of the continued threat of international terrorism, as has become particularly clear since the attacks in the USA (on 11.09.01), in Madrid (on 11.03.04), and in London (on 07.07.05 and 21.07.05) in addition to the attempted attacks on local trains in Koblenz and Dortmund (on 31.07.2006). With the attempted attacks on regional trains in Koblenz and Dortmund on 31.07.2006 as well as the arrest of suspected members of the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) in Medebach-Oberschlehdorn, NW, on 04.09.07 and the resulting seizure of considerable quantities of explosives, this threat has materialised directly in Germany.
In detail, the following fields of crime are dealt with in Division ST:
- Politically motivated crime – left-wing and right-wing
- Politically motivated crime committed by foreigners
- Espionage, illegal transfers of technology and goods and NBC crime
The central agency function of Division ST - collection and analysis of intelligence and the subsequent development/collation of information into an overall situation report - is of decisive relevance for the work of the criminal police. This serves to obtain investigative leads and to prevent offences in the field of politically motivated crime.
The main basis for these situation reports is information from Division ST's own investigations, supplemented by the results of the analysis of external national and international cases. The information gathered is also incorporated in analysis and assessment projects involving several cases and focusing on the type of crime, the region or the group structure.
Division ST has competency for law enforcement in cases of terrorist crimes pursuant to Section 129 a, Subsection 1 (1 and 2), of the German Penal Code (formation of terrorist organisations) and Section 129 b of the German Penal Code (criminal and terrorist organisations abroad).
It is also an original task of the BKA and Division ST to conduct investigations in cases of politically motivated crimes against the life and limb or freedom of members of the constitutional organs of the Federation and their guests.
The BKA also investigates initially in cases of hostage-taking abroad and the associated offences when the victims are German.
In order to increase the use of financial enquiries, also in the fight against the funding of terrorist organisations, a financial enquiries section has been created within Division ST - the first service nationwide in the field of state security dealing exclusively with this special subject.
The aim is the confiscation of assets through the integration of financial enquiries into the investigation (checks on accounts, other financial transactions).
Because they take so many forms, state security and in particular the fight against terrorism are tasks which are performed by various police and intelligence services nationally and internationally. Close cooperation on the basis of existing legislation is therefore necessary.
Consequently, the ”Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre” (German abbr. GTAZ) was newly created in Berlin in December 2004. The Bundeskriminalamt is represented there along with 40 other partner services. Never before has such a large number of authorities, which are responsible for combating Islamist terrorism or can supply valuable information, come together in one place on a permanent basis for the all-round fight against this crime phenomenon.
In addition to the Bundeskriminalamt, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Intelligence Service, these include representatives of the local State Criminal Police Offices and State Offices for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Police, the Central Office of the German Customs Investigation Service, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the Military Counter-Intelligence Service and representatives of the Federal Prosecutor General. The inclusion of the prosecution authority is a novelty internationally and intensifies the co-operation between law enforcement and prosecution.
With the presence of the representatives of the authorities on site, information can be quickly pooled, compounded and jointly assessed. In this way, all available sources of information are included, in order to be able to recognise possible threat scenarios in good time. Moreover, it is possible to coordinate operational measures on an ad hoc basis. The officers responsible strive for as much proximity and cooperation as possible, while observing the legally prescribed principle of separation.
Since 01.01.2007, Division ST has been participating in the Joint Internet Centre (GIZ) under the leadership of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The objective is to pool resources in the field of Internet analysis regarding Islamist terrorism.
In the course of international cooperation, the German state security policing interests are represented by the State Security Division of the Bundeskriminalamt. As fundamental elements of the cooperation, the European Police Office EUROPOL, the Police Working Group on Terrorism (PWGT) and the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO), also known as Interpol, have proved their worth.