After the “Start” action, which was carried out in Sarajevo last week, Europol, which took part in the months-long intensive cooperation of several police agencies, also made an announcement.
It was announced by Europol that seven people had been arrested, and that an international warrant had been issued for two individuals. During the operation, 30 residential buildings and 10 companies were searched.
Five luxury vehicles, large amounts of cryptocurrencies, 247 cryptocurrency mining machines worth more than one million euros, cash in the amount of about 100 thousand euros, more than 150,000 euros in bank accounts, expensive jewelry and watches, and four pistols and 300 bullets were seized.
Europol also listed the “modus operandi” of suspects for money laundering and other criminal offenses of organized crime.
“Cocaine is sent from South America to Europe by ships and private planes, usually hidden in coal or cans of tuna. The target of the operation was a political figure suspected of corruption, who was the head of one of the municipalities in Canton Sarajevo (CS),” they stated.
Europol’s contribution to this action was the intelligence prepared by Europol based on information from the SKY ECC operation. They enabled the identification of the structure, activities and international connections of the criminal network.
This intelligence report triggered the ongoing investigation. Europol further supported national authorities in identifying high-value targets, facilitating information exchange, coordinating operational activities, and operational analysis.
In the ”Start” operation, seven people were arrested on suspicion of having committed the criminal offense of Organized crime in connection with the criminal offenses of Abuse of position or authority, Receiving a gift and other forms of benefit, Giving a gift or other forms of benefit and Money laundering.
Ibrahim Hadzibajric, Alma Destanovic, Elmedin Karisik, Seid Hadzibajric, Emina Rogo, and Mehmed Dedic were sentenced to one-month detention, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
