ACTION AGAINST INTERNATIONAL SMUGGLING OF HEAVY NARCOTIC DRUGS CARRIED OUT UPON ORDER OF BIH PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE; COOPERATION WITH PARTNER AGENCIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA ACHIEVED

As part of the action codenamed "Solinjanka", searches of the facilities and vehicles connected with three suspects were carried out in the area of ​​Mostar and Grude, as those persons are suspected to have perpetrated organized smuggling of the heroin narcotic drug in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and its sale on an illegal narcotics market in the area of ​​Mostar and Herzegovina.

Acting pursuant to the Order issued by a Prosecutor from the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption, police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) deprived the suspects of liberty in the area of Mostar and Grude and searched the facilities and vehicles used by the suspects.

A Prosecutor and an Investigator from the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina were present at the scene and coordinated the field activities.

This joint police action was carried out with the participation of SIPA, as the agency that led the activities, supported by the BiH Border Police, Ministry of the Interior of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton and the Ministry of the Interior of the Western Herzegovina Canton, respectively.

The action was carried out as part of an investigation in which evidence has been obtained showing that the suspects are members of an organized criminal group which has been engaged, for a longer period of time, in the international smuggling, procurement, hiding and further distribution of the heroin narcotic drug in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

Also, evidence has been collected showing that, almost on a daily basis, the aforementioned suspects were supplying the illegal narcotics market with the heroin narcotic drug of in the territory of Mostar.

Within this investigation, important cooperation has been established with partner agencies from ​​the Republic of Croatia, since the heroin narcotic drug was also smuggled in the territory of Croatia.

The suspects are under investigation for the criminal offence of Organised Crime, as referred to in Article 250 and the criminal offence of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, as referred to in Article 195 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the suspects have been deprived of liberty and searches have been conducted for the purpose of finding the narcotic drug and other evidence of the committed criminal offences, the suspects will be handed over to the Prosecutor in charge of this case who will question them and subsequently decide on further activities in the case.