SIPA, RS Ministry of Interior and BiH Border Police arrest eight people in Bijeljina for organized crime

(Patria) - Police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), along with the RS Ministry of Interior and the BiH Border Police, yesterday, as part of operational actions "Šljunkara" and "Neon 2", searched residential buildings and movable property at 19 locations in the Bijeljina area.

SIPA announced this morning that eight people were arrested in the actions, who underwent criminal processing and were questioned as suspects.

Their further status will be determined by the acting prosecutor within the legal deadline.

During the search, approximately one kilogram of the narcotic drug marijuana, 32 grams of the narcotic drug cocaine, two semi-automatic and two automatic rifles, as well as a larger quantity of explosive ordnance were discovered and temporarily seized.

Also seized were three anti-personnel mines - so-called "pastete", two fuses for anti-personnel mines, two cables for pull mines, two blocks of plastic explosives, two sticks of plastic explosives and two corresponding fuses for their activation, a vacuum packing machine with traces of powdery substance, about 750 rounds of ammunition for an automatic rifle caliber 7.62 mm, a larger number of hand grenades.

Two "zolja" rocket launchers were also seized, precursors for the production of amphetamines - battery acid, mixers for making and increasing the mixture, mixing containers, 5 liters of methanol, equipment for equipping a laboratory for growing marijuana narcotic drug - lamps, pots and an electrical power supply system, air purification filter, as well as other items that can serve as evidence that the criminal offenses listed below have been committed.

The aforementioned activities were carried out due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that the criminal offenses of "Organized Crime", "Unauthorized Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs" and "Money Laundering" prescribed by the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the criminal offense of "Unauthorized Production and Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs" prescribed by the Criminal Code of the RS have been committed.

The searches were carried out by order of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the District Public Prosecutor's Office in Bijeljina.

In addition to the above, through the implementation of special investigative actions, it was discovered that members of this organized crime group had trafficked approximately 150 kilograms of hashish narcotic drug, 45 kilograms of marijuana narcotic drug, as well as a larger quantity of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in the EU countries.

A certain amount of heroin narcotic drug, as well as a mixture for increasing the mass of this drug, was discovered and temporarily seized from one of the members of this organized crime group.

During the work on the case, SIPA achieved good international cooperation with partner agencies from Western European countries, the statement added.