CUSTODY PROPOSED FOR FOUR PERSONS SUSPECTED OF INTERNATIONAL SMUGGLING OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

These persons are under investigation as they are suspected, as members of an organized group, to have been part of a smuggling chain with the aim of smuggling illegal migrants from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the territory of the Republic of Croatia and further to other EU countries, with the intention of acquiring unlawful material gain.  

Having questioned the suspects, the Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in charge of this case filed a motion to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina seeking custody for the suspects Salih Alibašić (1971), Hasan Grahović (1993), Hasib Mehić (1969) and Muhamed Šabić (1962) from Velika Kladuša, all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These suspects were deprived of liberty during the operation codenamed “Trieste” that was carried out in coordination with the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (hereinafter: USKOK) of the State Attorney’s Office of the Republic of Croatia, which was a regional operation aimed at detecting and prosecuting an organized smuggling chain for the smuggling of migrants.

The suspects are charged with having committed the criminal offence of Organizing a Group or Association for the Purpose of Perpetrating the Criminal Offence of Smuggling of Migrants, under Article 189a of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The motion for custody has been forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.