PURSUANT TO THE ORDER OF THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE AND THE COURT OF BIH, OPERATION CODENAMED ‘ALBATROS’ COUNTERING ILLEGAL MIGRATION CARRIED OUT; SEVERAL PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY

Pursuant to the order of the Prosecutor from the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption, early in the morning, dozens of police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency of BiH (SIPA) started conducting the operation codenamed ‘Albatros’.

Sixteen suspects were deprived of liberty and 14 locations were searched in Sarajevo Canton, Una-Sana Canton and Tuzla Canton.

At the same time, in the area of these cantons, the officers of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs of BiH performed control in 8 facilities for which they had information that illegal migrants were accommodated inside.

Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption is in SIPA, where the work and activities of police officers are coordinated.

The operation is aimed at persons suspected of smuggling, as an organized criminal group, a large number of citizens of the Republic of Serbia from the territory of Kosovo, who did not have valid travel documents, from BiH to the territory of the Republic of Croatia and further to EU countries with the aim of obtaining property gain by illegal transfer of foreign citizens for an agreed monetary reward.

Persons under investigation within the aforementioned case are suspected of the criminal offense of Organizing a group or an association for the purpose of perpetration of the criminal offences of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants under Article 189a (1) in conjunction with the criminal offense of Smuggling of Persons under Article 189 of the CC BiH

This operation is a decisive step in the fight of BiH’s judicial and police institutions against illegal migration and smuggling of migrants.

Following the conducted activities the suspects will be handed over to the Assigned Prosecutor who will examine the suspects and then decide whether to file a motion for remand in custody or order of prohibiting measures as well as other activities in accordance with the law.