Romania tightens security with anti-terrorist patrols at the Bucharest subway

Anti-terrorist fighters from the Gendarmerie’s Special Intervention Brigade have started patrolling the Bucharest subway armed with submachine guns. The first such patrols have been noticed in subway trains this weekend, and the measure is to be expanded to buses and trams of the Bucharest Public Transport Company (RATB), reports local Stirileprotv.ro. The fighters can intervene with force if the situation requires. However, the Romanians shouldn’t worry, as this is only a safety measure, according to the local authorities. This measure comes soon after the Romanian Intelligence Service SRI has confirmed that Romanian prepaid SIM cards have been used in several conflict areas, including in Iraq and Syria. Some of these cards may have been used by members of terrorist organizations. Moreover, they might have been used to launch threats against transport infrastructures in a European country, according to SRI. The Romanian Intelligence Service - SRI has maintained its national system for terrorist alert at a cautious level, even after the attacks that took place in Brussels, in March. This means that available information and recent events indicate that there is a low risk of terrorist attack in Romania. Romanian Intelligence Service’s guide on how and when to report a possible terrorist threat Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com