PRE-TRIAL CUSTODY PROPOSED FOR TWO SUSPECTS IN ACTION AGAINST SMUGGLING OF WEAPONS AND DRUGS

Having questioned the suspects, the Prosecutor in charge of this case has put forward a Motion for Pre-Trial Custody against the following suspects:

- Esad Kahvedžić aka “Eso“, born in 1965 in Odžak, and

- Stevan Žarkić, born in 1964 in Donji Žabar.

Pre-trial custody has been proposed for reasons as described in Article 132, items b) and c) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or due to the risk that, if at large, these suspects might hinder the inquiry, conceal evidence, or influence witnesses or accessories, and that, if at large, they might commit a new criminal offense or complete the initiated criminal offense.

This action, which was carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its partner police and security agencies, and in cooperation with its Austrian colleagues, resulted in discovering an organized criminal group which was engaged in procurement of weapons and explosive devices left from the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in smuggling of such weapons towards Austria and EU countries, all with the intention of using these weapons for the commission of criminal offenses in those countries.

During the searches conducted at several locations, a large quantity of automatic weapons, hand-held launchers, bombs and grenades, as well as ammunition, explosives, pressure-activated mines and other military equipment was found.

The suspects are also under investigation for smuggling of narcotic drugs from the EU countries to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Motion for Pre-Trial Custody has been forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while an intensive investigation continues in this case.