Smart Operation Fails Due to Lukač: He Boasted to Media, Extortionists Gave Up on Handover!

It is evident that the "Smart" operation, which was supposed to result in the arrest of individuals suspected of extortion, has failed, writes the Patria News Agency.

To make matters worse, the operation failed thanks to Dragan Lukač, director of the Federal Police Administration, who announced to journalists on Friday morning, April 22, that a major operation related to extortion was underway. Naturally, all media outlets reported this news and announced spectacular arrests, none of which happened, because the perpetrators gave up on the money handover after reading in the media that an operation was in progress!

As we unofficially learn, the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton was also surprised by Lukač's move. Allegedly, the extortionist was supposed to receive the money on Friday between 2 PM and 3 PM, but this was abandoned. In the end, nothing happened, and the arrested E.D. was released due to insufficient evidence!

However, the FPA spectacularly issued a statement as they had announced, stating that Federal Police Administration officers, from April 22 to 24, under the supervision of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton and in cooperation with the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, carried out the "Smart" operational action in the mentioned cantons.

Within this operation, and by order of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, two individuals from Konjic were deprived of their liberty - D. E. (1994) and minor M. R. (1999), according to the Federal Police Administration.

The individuals deprived of their liberty are linked to the criminal offenses of "extortion" and "endangering security" because, with the aim of obtaining unlawful property gain, they continuously sent serious threats to the life of the injured party Z. J., a citizen of the Republic of Croatia, since the beginning of April 2016, and thus attempted to extort 10,000 euros from him.

In the end, both individuals were released because the operation had effectively failed and there was no tangible evidence by which D.E. could be charged...

Lukač on Threats

Incidentally, at the same press conference held on Friday, April 22, Lukač, while presenting the work of the FPA, stated that he feared ending up like Jozo Leutar, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who was assassinated in 1999, leading to his death.

When asked by the Patria News Agency whether Lukač had submitted a report on the threats to any prosecutor's office, the FPA stated:

- Regarding your inquiry about whether the competent prosecutor's office has been informed about the serious threats directed towards the Director of the Federal Police Administration, Lukač Dragan, and from whom these threats were made, we inform you that this Police Administration cannot comment on its operational activities, given the achieved level and stage of the police investigation – stated the FPA.

What kind of investigation it is remains unknown for now, but no report or request from Lukač has reached the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor's Office.