Car theft ring: Searches conducted at multiple locations on Prosecutor's Office of BiH orders

Starting at 6 AM today, an operation codenamed "Kavala" is being conducted based on orders from the Prosecutor's Office of BiH and collected evidence. 13 individuals from several BiH cities including Banja Luka, Zenica, Tuzla, Lukavac, Banovići, Bijeljina, and Derventa are suspected of operating as an interconnected inter-entity group engaged in serious criminal offenses, including the theft of expensive motor vehicles in BiH and abroad, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

Recently, car thefts have become more frequent, and as Patria has previously reported, thieves do not shy away from using any means necessary, stealing vehicles at gunpoint. Such an incident was recorded in the Sarajevo settlement of Dobrinja, where two luxury vehicles were stolen on two consecutive nights last month. Furthermore, as the Patria agency has learned, a VW Golf 5 was stolen last night from the parking lot behind Baku Street and Children of Dobrinja Square.

Searches of facilities and vehicles are ongoing to collect evidence, and the acting prosecutor is coordinating the work of police forces on the ground. The operation involves the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, as well as the Federal Police Administration and police forces from the Federation of BiH.

The suspects are also accused of document forgery, smuggling and further sale of stolen vehicles, as well as fraud, false certification, and the manufacturing and procurement of weapons and means for committing criminal offenses.

Following their arrest, the suspects will be brought in for questioning by the acting prosecutor, after which a decision will be made on proposing pre-trial detention or prohibiting measures in accordance with the law.

As part of this operation, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH has achieved significant international cooperation, particularly with the Republic of Slovenia, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Republic of Italy, as well as other countries, as it has been determined that this organized criminal group, which includes individuals who are repeat offenders and convicted persons, operated in several EU countries.

The Prosecutor's Office of BiH, together with police agencies in BiH and abroad, continues its decisive fight against organized crime to establish the rule of law and protect the security of BiH citizens and their property.