INDICTMENT ISSUED FOR ORGANISED SMUGGLING OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS INVOLVING THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACCUSED SO FAR

A total of 16 accused, prosecuted within the operation codenamed “Lipa” /Linden/, among whom are foreign citizens and citizens of BiH, are charged with organised smuggling of more than 850 illegal migrants.

The accused Ahmed Iftkhar (1977), Sead Mukanović (1985), Hidajet Gaković (1996), Memaga Nuhanović (1971), Fikret Šušnjar (1966), Emrah Mehmedović (2000), Hamid Mehmedović (1975), Ibrahim Gverić (1995), Suad Husak (1991), Safet Husak (1996), Rusmir Gaković (1998), Redžo Osmancević (1988), Esad Bajramović (1954), Senad Keškić (1992), Mirzet Delić (1996) and Medina Mukanović (1996) are charged with having committed the criminal offences of organising a group of people or an association to commit the criminal offence of Smuggling of migrants under Article 189a (1) and (2) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in conjunction with the criminal offence of Smuggling of persons under Article 189 (1) thereof, all in conjunction with Articles 29, 53 and 54 of the same Code.

It is alleged against the accused that in the period from September to 9 December 2020 they, acting as an organised group, in order to acquire unlawful property gain, smuggled at least 850 migrants, who did not meet the conditions for legal entry and stay in BiH, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the territory of the Republic of Croatia and further to EU countries.

The incriminating actions are described in the indictment in 26 counts. It is proposed to confiscate motor vehicles and other items used to commit the criminal offence. For the first accused, the organiser of the group, Ahmed Iftkhara, a citizen of Pakistan, it was proposed that his term in custody be extended following the confirmation of the indictment.

This organised smuggling network that, in an organised manner, among other things, received payments as unlawful property gain for smuggling migrants from their families from abroad, was detected and disbanded through field work of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and partner institutions and agencies.

In this case, during the investigation, significant cooperation was achieved between the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and police agencies and partner institutions from Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad.

The indictment was forwarded to the Court of BiH for confirmation.