INDICTMENT ISSUED AGAINST TURKISH AND IRAQ CITIZENS FOR SMUGGLING OF MIGRANTS IN BIH

The indictment charges the two accused of smuggling illegal migrants, including minors, across the territory of BiH for a fee with a view to acquiring unlawful property gain.

A prosecutor of the Special Department for Organised Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, issued an indictment against:

1. Murat Erbil, born on 20 March 1968 in Arbil, Iraq, citizen of the Republic of Turkey and Iraq, currently in detention
2. Sahin Sefo, born on 9 August 1993 in Samsun, Republic of Turkey, citizen of the Republic of Turkey

The accused are charged that in the course of 2009 they, in the territory of BiH, acting in mutual agreement and coordination, illegally smuggled migrants, mainly Iraqi citizens, who illegally entered Bosnia and Herzegovina and did not have valid documents for residence in BiH.

The indictment alleges that the accused acted in violation of Article 6 of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, which supplements the UN Convention against Transnational and Organised Crime (Official Gazette of BiH No. 37/02) with a view to acquiring unlawful property gain.

The accused are charged with having smuggled at least 15 illegal migrants on three occasions transporting them across the territory of BiH towards the border with the Republic of Croatia for a fee of up to € 4000, in which they were detected and prevented by police officers of the State Agency for investigations and protection - SIPA.

The Accused are charged with the criminal offence of Smuggling of Persons in violation of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of BiH.

The indictment was forwarded to the Court of BiH for confirmation.