Threatened with Kidnapping of Daughter: Four People Arrested for Attempted Extortion of Gornji Vakuf Mayor

On February 29, around 8 PM, the Mayor of Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, Sead Čaušević, reported to the Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Police Station an attempted extortion against him by an unknown person or persons, the Ministry of Interior of the Central Bosnia Canton announced, as reported by the Patria news agency.  

In his report, the mayor stated that he received an SMS message demanding that he prepare a certain amount of money, or else his daughter would be kidnapped. The message also contained threats against him and his daughter if he reported the case to the police.

Officers of the Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje Police Station immediately undertook a series of operational measures and actions upon receiving the report, which resulted in information linking individuals with initials H.U. (born 1995), T.E. (born 1997), M.H. (born 1995), and S.F. (born 1996), all from Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, to this criminal offense.  

The suspects were located and subjected to criminal investigation, during which they fully confessed to committing the criminal offense of attempted extortion against the mayor.

Furthermore, evidence was found in the seized mobile phones indicating that the suspects had committed the same criminal offense against another person from Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, but that person had not reported it to the police.

Additionally, the disputed SIM card from which the extortionate SMS messages were sent was found and will be submitted to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in Travnik along with a report on the committed criminal offense, after the completion of the criminal investigation and case compilation, the statement reads.