OPERATION START - MUP KS Announces: Expensive Vehicles, Cash, Cryptocurrency Mining Machines, Jewelry Seized...

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The operational-tactical operation "Start" carried out by police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, under the supervision of prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton, is the result of several months of intensive cooperation with international police partners, primarily EUROPOL, as well as the FBI Office. The Office for Combating Corruption and Quality Management of Sarajevo Canton made a significant contribution to the preparation of this operation.

The activities, coordinated by the acting prosecutors, involved more than ten legal and natural persons on suspicion of organized crime and abuses involving multi-million amounts.

More than 150 police officers from the Criminal Police Sector and police administrations, along with police officers from the Police Support Sector, conducted searches at 30 locations in the Sarajevo Canton area – residential buildings, business premises, and official premises.

During the searches, among other things, cash amounting to approximately 200,000 KM in various currencies (44,950 KM, 64,950 €, 11,195 AED, 11,450 RUB), expensive jewelry, three pistols with several hundred rounds of ammunition, and 248 cryptocurrency mining machines were found – the value of the devices alone is approx. $1,200,000 (one million two hundred thousand dollars), as well as significant amounts of cryptocurrency. For nine natural persons and six legal entities, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) temporarily suspended transactions totaling 429,820 KM and 82,289 euros.

Six luxury passenger motor vehicles (Audi, Mercedes x 2, BMW, VW Tiguan, Peugeot) were also temporarily seized.

Seven individuals were deprived of their liberty and handed over to the competent prosecutor's offices on suspicion of committing the criminal offenses of Organized Crime, Money Laundering, Abuse of Office or Authority, Receiving Gifts and Other Forms of Benefit, Giving Gifts and Other Forms of Benefit, while two individuals are currently unavailable and warrants have been issued for them.

The Police Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton has once again proven itself to be a reliable partner to domestic and international institutions in the fight against organized crime and corruption, and continues its intensive operational work on this and other cases.