OPERATION IN BANJA LUKA: RS MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS CALLED SIPA A 'INTERNATIONAL PARTNER'

(Patria) - The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska issued a statement regarding the operation conducted in the Banja Luka area, in which the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) participated. This was the first operation conducted by SIPA in the territory of Republika Srpska since the National Assembly of Republika Srpska adopted a series of laws undermining state institutions and prohibiting them from operating in the territory of Republika Srpska. SIPA is among them. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has suspended these laws until a final decision is made on the appeals.

However, the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs, while acknowledging that SIPA conducted the operation, emphasizes that it is a reliable partner to "international partners".

"Police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, in cooperation with the Financial Intelligence Unit of SIPA, have been taking measures and actions to shed light on the criminal offense of 'Money Laundering' in the past period. Within these activities, premises used by individual A.P. were searched this morning in the area operationally covered by the Banja Luka Police Administration. After the searches, individual A.P. was not arrested, but items that could be linked to the commission of the criminal offense were seized.

Through these activities, respecting the laws of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska once again demonstrates its strong commitment to combating international organized crime and its reliability as a partner to international partners in these activities," the statement from the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs reads.

SIPA also issued a statement after the operation.

"Police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency today (March 25, 2025) conducted the operational action 'Test' in the Banja Luka area, during which searches were carried out at two locations. During the searches, a certain amount of business documentation, one tablet, mobile phones with SIM cards, and other items that could serve as evidence in further proceedings were discovered and temporarily seized.

The aforementioned activities were carried out due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that the criminal offenses of 'Money Laundering' in connection with the criminal offense of 'Illegal Use of Copyright' prescribed by the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the criminal offense of 'Unauthorized Practice of a Certain Profession' prescribed by the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska, have been committed.

The operational action 'Test' was realized based on an order from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in cooperation with police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska."