PERSON SUSPECTED OF SMUGGLING OF AROUND FOUR KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE, SEIZED IN SWEDEN, DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY UPON ORDER OF BIH PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE

After the questioning of the suspect, the Prosecutor in charge of this case has put forward a Motion with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, seeking the measure of custody to be ordered. This case is a result of good international cooperation between the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and partner institutions of the Kingdom of Sweden.

Following a long and thorough investigation and acting pursuant to an order of a Prosecutor from the Special Department for Organised Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption, police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) located, identified and deprived of liberty in the area of Lukavac the suspect Damir Nurkić, born in 1981 in Tuzla and residing in Lukavac.

After the seizure of approximately four kilograms of Cocaine of extremely high purity (over 60%), which was seized by the police authorities of the Kingdom of Sweden on a boat in 2015, the investigation has shown that the suspect Nurkić was a part of the international network of drug crime, as part of which he participated together with other persons in the smuggling of a larger amount of Cocaine narcotic drug.  

The joint international investigation has produced evidence that the suspect Damir Nurkić is suspected of organising and coordinating international transport and smuggling of the Cocaine narcotic drug from Slovenia, through Austria and further in the direction of Sweden, so that it could be delivered to persons from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina residing in Sweden and representing members of an illegal drug market in that country.

For the aforementioned Cocaine smuggling, the judicial institutions of the Kingdom of Sweden have prosecuted three persons from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and from the region, who are residing in territory of Sweden. Mirnes Dajdžić was sentenced to four (4) years in prison, Vladimir Jocić to six (6) years in prison and Suvad Mujezinović to four (4) years in prison.

The seized Cocaine is of extremely high purity, when compared to the seizures recorded in Europe, and its value in the illegal drug market is more than BAM 300,000.

In relation to the suspect Damir Nurkić, who is under investigation for the commission of the criminal offence of Organised Crime (Article 250) and Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs (Article 195) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the measure of custody has been proposed for reasons described in Article 132, item b) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or due to the danger that, if at large, the suspect might hinder the investigation, conceal evidence and influence witnesses or accomplices.

Custody has also been proposed due to the fact that it was determined during the investigation that the suspect was visiting the witnesses and accomplices, intimidating them and instructing them how to testify in the case.   

The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is participating in several international operations aimed at combating the criminal offences with an international element, and in the aforementioned case, cooperation with the institutions of Sweden and Austria has been achieved.