Four individuals apprehended in continuation of "Algol" operation

(Patria) - Police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) today (10.12.2024) in the area of Bihać, in the continuation of the "Algol" operational action, searched three locations and apprehended four individuals, due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that they have committed the criminal offenses of "Human Smuggling" and "Organizing a Group or Association for the Commission of the Criminal Offense of "Migrant Smuggling" prescribed by the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The apprehended individuals, after criminal processing and questioning as suspects, will be handed over to the further jurisdiction of the acting prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the searches, items that could serve as evidence of the commission of the aforementioned criminal offenses were discovered and temporarily confiscated.

As we previously stated during our work on the case, SIPA police officers in the previous period, in the areas of Bihać and Sarajevo, apprehended five individuals who, during the period from July 2024, as an organized group for human smuggling, whose members also include the individuals apprehended in today's operation, transported over 250 illegal migrants across the border, predominantly of Turkish, i.e., Kurdish origin, and realized an illegal material gain exceeding 100,000 euros.

The aforementioned activities 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.

Also, during the implementation of the said operation, cooperation was achieved with police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Una-Sana Canton and the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, as well as with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, EUROPOL, and OTF Zebra.