Ivan Stipić Charged with Migrant Smuggling and Assault on Authorised Officials

(Patria) - The Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organised Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH has filed an indictment against IVAN STIPIĆ, known as "Zuza", born in 1984 in Mostar, previously convicted, a citizen of BiH.

The accused is charged with, on 29 November 2022, with the intent to obtain unlawful material gain, attempting to illegally transport five migrants, nationals of the Republic of Turkey, including minors, who do not meet the conditions for legal crossing of the state border from BiH to the Republic of Croatia, for the purpose of further illegal transfer to EU countries, and during apprehension, issuing a serious threat to the safety of officials in the performance of their official duties.

According to the indictment, Stipić transported the smuggled persons in his vehicle and illegally led them on foot, via a forest path, to the immediate vicinity of the state border with the Republic of Croatia, where he was caught by police officers in the commission of a criminal offence. During discovery, the accused ignored the orders issued by police officers of the Border Police of BiH, and by brandishing a cold weapon—a knife—issued serious threats to officials in the performance of their official duties that he would attack them with the cold weapon, after which he was subdued and apprehended.

The accused is charged with committing the criminal offence of people smuggling under Article 189, Paragraph 4, in conjunction with Paragraph 1, in conjunction with Article 26, and the criminal offence of assault on an official in the performance of security duties, detection or apprehension of perpetrators of criminal offences under Article 241.b, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of BiH, all in conjunction with Article 53 of the same Law.

The indictment has been forwarded for confirmation to the Court of BiH.