After the arrest of car thieves in Ilidža, car thefts in Sarajevo decreased

In the first eight months of 2016, 448 cars were stolen in Sarajevo Canton, and 112 cars were recovered in seven months, of which 62 were returned by the owners themselves.

Official statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton are devastating and show that two vehicles are stolen daily in Sarajevo. However, a large number of thefts are not even reported because owners are often contacted immediately after the theft, pay a ransom, and get their vehicle back. No one knows the exact number of such cases, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

In August, 30 cars were stolen in Sarajevo Canton, which is 17 vehicles less than in July 2016.

According to well-informed sources, after the members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton prevented the theft of an expensive BMW car in the vicinity of the Thermal Riviera in Ilidža at the beginning of August and arrested three thieves, two of whom they wounded, the number of motor vehicle thefts has decreased. It was an organized group from Pale that stole vehicles in the Sarajevo Canton area and transported them to the RS territory, namely Lukavica, Pale, and Sokolac. Savo Petričević, Bojan Košarac, and Njegoslav Milinković were arrested at that time. Savo Petričević died from his wounds.

The Prosecutor's Office of BiH, as well as SIPA, the Border Police of BiH, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton are involved in the investigation, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RS is not mentioned in the entire case. The Prosecutor's Office of BiH announced after this incident that it is a comprehensive case in the fight against car mafia structures connected with cross-border and organized crime.

It was determined that this group had been operating in Sarajevo and BiH for a longer period, according to operational and intelligence information.

- The Prosecutor's Office of BiH, in cooperation with the Border Police, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, and SIPA, due to the existence of elements of international and organized crime, is carrying out intensive activities in the fight against a group of suspected members who commit thefts, alienation, forgery of documents, and further sale of expensive motor vehicles.

The Prosecutor's Office of BiH confirmed at the time that 1,000 vehicles are stolen in the capital of BiH (more than two vehicles per day) and that the engagement of all police and judicial structures is needed, especially at the entity and cantonal levels, in prosecuting perpetrators of criminal offenses that do not have elements of international and organized crime.

According to reliable information available to the Patria agency, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RS was well aware of car theft cases in Sarajevo, as at a meeting organized last year, individuals connected with the car mafia were "threatened" that "no vehicle should be stolen in Pale and Sokolac.".

According to statistics, the largest number of vehicles are stolen in the municipalities of Novi Grad and Stari Grad, which are near the inter-entity line between the Federation of BiH and the RS. The most frequently stolen vehicles are VW, Audi, BMW, and Škoda, typically between 10 PM and 4 AM.