OPERATION CODENAMED ‘CENTRE’ – SEARCHES AND APPREHENSION OF PERSONS SUSPECTED OF ORGANISED CRIME AND SMUGGLING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ACROSS TERRITORY OF BiH UNDER WAY

Acting under the supervision of a prosecutor from the Special Department for Organised Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption, police officers of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina are carrying out searches of facilities in the area of Sarajevo and Mostar from early morning hours.

Within the operation ‘Centre’, a comprehensive investigation was conducted involving persons suspected of organising smuggling of illegal migrants, mostly citizens of India, Pakistan, Iran and other countries.

Evidence was collected that illegal migrants in BiH were smuggled from Montenegro and Serbia, after which their illegal stay and accommodation in BiH, as well as further transport and smuggling to EU countries, were organised, for which the organisers charged the illegal migrants €4,000 per person.

During the operation, at least 50 cases of smuggling migrants were documented.

Among the suspects are also foreign nationals who have falsely represented themselves in BiH as immigrants and concealed the reasons for their stay in BiH so that they could get in touch with illegal immigrants, commit criminal offences and gain unlawful material gain.

The operation ‘Centre’ is a significant activity in the fight to detect and prevent the smuggling of illegal migrants across the territory of BiH.

Following the searches, the suspects will be handed over to the case prosecutor who will interrogate them, after which he will make a decision on further activities in the case.