Police raids continue in Sarajevo: Drugs found and wanted persons apprehended

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In line with planned activities of the Police Administration of the Ministry of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton since September 2019, aimed at improving the security situation in the Sarajevo Canton area, police officers continuously implemented measures and actions within their jurisdiction to prevent the commission of criminal offenses and misdemeanors. These measures and actions, among other things, include conducting raids by police officers, as criminal-operational and tactical actions undertaken to place a certain area or facility under police control, in order to implement other measures and actions within the jurisdiction of the police authority, the Police Administration of the Ministry of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton announced. 

"Based on orders from the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, during the past weekend, searches were conducted of two catering facilities in the municipalities of Novo Sarajevo and Ilidža. During the search of these facilities, 66 persons were found, whose identities were checked and they were searched in accordance with the powers prescribed by the Law on Police Officers of the Sarajevo Canton. On that occasion, in the facility that was the subject of the search, in the area of the municipality of Novo Sarajevo, several packages containing a substance resembling the narcotic drugs amphetamine and ecstasy were found and seized. Also, one person was deprived of liberty due to reasonable suspicion of having committed a criminal offense under Article 239, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (possession and enabling the use of narcotic drugs)," the statement said. 

During the last five months, as part of planned operational activities, police officers conducted inspections, raids, and, when necessary, searches of several catering facilities, gambling clubs, as well as other facilities and motor vehicles.

"On that occasion, 43 facilities were inspected or searched, where 920 persons were found and checked, as well as 123 vehicles, and a certain amount of substance resembling narcotic drugs and items that could be linked to the commission of criminal offenses and misdemeanors were seized. In certain cases, persons for whom a search had been previously issued or who are linked to the commission of certain criminal offenses were found and subsequently deprived of liberty. 

These activities of a preventive-repressive nature will continue in the coming period, the Ministry of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton stated.