Bosnian police arrested 17 people in a sweeping operation to combat human trafficking earlier this week. They worked in cooperation with Croatian security forces and Europol, local media reported on Tuesday (February 6).
Police in Bosnia have arrested 17 suspected human traffickers after searching homes, stores and warehouses in the areas of Gradacac, Srebrenik and Kladani.
They seized several cell phones, documents and a large sum of money, investigative sources told local media on Tuesday (February 6).
Criminal organization allegedly recruited irregular migrants in Turkey
According to investigative sources, the suspects arrested were part of a vast criminal organization that recruited irregular migrants in Turkey and helped them reach Bosnia-Herzegovina.
From there, migrants continued their journeys through Croatia and Slovenia — often hidden in lorries and cars — to western EU countries.
Young Syrian arrested on charges of favoring illegal immigration
In a similar operation carried out by Serbian police near the Macedonian border, a 22-year-old Syrian man was arrested on charges of favoring the irregular entry of several migrants into the country.
North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia are regularly crossed by thousands of refugees and migrants traveling upon through the so-called Balkan route every day. The pathway allows them to reach western EU countries from central Asia and the Middle East through Turkey and Greece, Info Migrants reports.
