INDICTMENT ISSUED AGAINST FOUR PERSONS FOR SMUGGLING OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption within the Prosecutor's Office of BiH issued an indictment against the following persons:

• Vitomir NJEŽIĆ AKA ''Vito”, born on March 30, 1964 in Prnjavor where he resides, with prior convictions, for whom an international warrant was issued, a citizen of BiH, 
• Tomislav SAVIČIĆ AKA ''Tomo", born on July11, 1972 in Lukavac municipality, residing in Brod, with prior convictions, citizen of BiH,
• Branko GRABOVAC AKA ''Tunja”, born on January 1, 1963 in Brod municipality where he resides, a citizen of BiH, and
• Petar MILOŠEVIĆ AKA ''Pejo", born on November 1, 1944 in Brod municipality where he resides, with prior convictions, citizen of BiH.

According to the indictment during the period from September to December 2009 in the area of Brod municipality, the aforementioned accused persons have acted together with persons known to them violating the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and acting contrary to the applicable legal provisions on Movement and Stay of Aliens and Asylum while preparing and organizing illegal transport of migrants from Republic of Albania to the territory of the European Union countries with the aim of obtaining substantial financial benefits. The above-mentioned migrants were crossing through the territory of several countries, including BH. Given that they were not nationals or permanent residents of the Republic of Croatia or BiH they did not meet the requirements for legal entry and stay in BiH, Croatia and especially not in the EU.

As the indictment alleges, the accused accepted the obligation to provide the mode and manner of transportation, accommodation and food for migrants and were paid a mutually agreed fee in return. The accused have in this way organized for the transfer of several migrants from Albania across the border between Montenegro and BIH, their transport to the town of Brod in BiH, as well as their illegal crossing into the Republic of Croatia.

The indictment charges Vitomir NJEŽIĆ, Tomislav SAVIČIĆ, Branko GRABOVAC and Petar MILOŠEVIĆ to have become members of an organized criminal group, which acted jointly and committed or attempted to commit the criminal offense prescribed by the BiH law i.e. to have transferred or enabled others to illegally cross the border, out of greed, by which they have committed the criminal offense of Organized Crime under Article 250 CC BiH, in connection with the criminal offense of Smuggling of Persons under Article 189 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of BiH.

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