MEASURE OF CUSTODY AGAINST FIVE SUSPECTS AND PROHIBITING MEASURES AGAINST SIX SUSPECTS PROPOSED WITHIN THE ACTION CODENAMED ‘DARDANELLES’

After the questioning of the suspects, the Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption in charge of the case will put forward a Motion with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, seeking the measure of custody to be ordered against five of the suspects and prohibiting measures to be ordered against six of the suspects, due to the commission of the criminal offense of Organising a Group or an Association for the Purpose of Perpetration of the Criminal Offence of Smuggling of Illegal Migrants, as referred to in Article 189a of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These suspects are under investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the measure of custody against five (5) of the suspects will be proposed for the reasons set forth in Article 132, Paragraph 1, items a), b) and c) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely, due to the risk of flight and the danger that, if at large, the suspects might hinder the inquiry, conceal evidence or influence witnesses or accessories, as well as due to the danger that, if at large, they might commit another criminal offence or complete the criminal offense.

Prohibiting measures will be proposed against six (6) persons, including, inter alia, the following measures: travel ban and prohibition from meeting with witnesses and suspects in this case.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is conducting an investigation in the case codenamed ‘Dardanelles’, which is being conducted in cooperation with the judiciary and police of the countries in the region, namely, Croatia and Montenegro, and it is focused on detecting and prosecuting persons suspected of smuggling of a large number of illegal migrants, mostly from the territories of Turkey, Syria and Middle East, through Bosnia and Herzegovina and into Croatia, whereby the perpetrators of these criminal offences acquired large unlawful material gain.

The investigation in this case will continue.