(Patria) - Police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency today (05/19/2025) carried out an operational action codenamed "Istok Turist" in the areas of Sarajevo, Travnik, Cazin, Velika Kladuša, and Novi Grad, during which they searched residential and auxiliary buildings and movable property at eight locations.
Eighteen individuals were deprived of their liberty and will be transferred to SIPA premises during the day for criminal processing and questioning as suspects. Their further status will be determined by the acting prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The operational action "Istok Turist" is being carried out on the order of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that the criminal offenses of "Organizing a group or association for the commission of the criminal offense of migrant smuggling" and "Human trafficking" prescribed by the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been committed.
The persons deprived of their liberty have been continuously organizing the smuggling of migrants for a long period of months by taking over migrants in the Sarajevo area, most often of Russian and Turkish origin, by prior agreement with foreign nationals or smuggling organizers, whom they further transported to the border areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then smuggled them into the territory of the Republic of Croatia, all with the aim of gaining unlawful property benefit.
Members of the organized criminal group were responsible for "recruiting" drivers who, on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, specifically in the border area of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Republic of Croatia, at agreed locations, took over migrants whose illegal smuggling they had previously organized and carried out with the aim of entering the Republic of Croatia, and further transported them towards Zagreb or other cities in the European Union.
The aforementioned drivers were previously deprived of their liberty by police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Croatia. It is estimated that over 200 drivers have been deprived of their liberty so far, who were transporting migrants to the Republic of Croatia and further to other European Union countries.
During the search, three passenger motor vehicles and other items that could serve as evidence of the commission of the aforementioned criminal offenses were discovered and temporarily confiscated.
The operational action codenamed "Istok – Turist" is being carried out within OTF "Zebra", in cooperation with EUROPOL as well as judicial and police authorities of the Republic of Croatia.
During the implementation of the operational action "Istok Turist", SIPA police officers cooperated with the Service for Affairs with Foreigners of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Intelligence-Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Cooperation was also established with police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Central Bosnia Canton, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Una-Sana Canton, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska.
The activities described above are being carried out as part of Europol Days activities and under the auspices of EU4FAST.
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