The operational-tactical action “Start” carried out by the police officers of the Ministry of Interior Police Administration of the Sarajevo Canton under the supervision of the prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Prosecutor’s Office of the Sarajevo Canton, is the result of several months of intensive cooperation with international police partners, primarily EUROPOL, but and the FBI Office. The office for the fight against corruption and quality management of Sarajevo Canton made a significant contribution to the preparation of this action.
The activities coordinated by the acting prosecutors included more than ten legal and physical persons due to suspicions of organized crime and abuse in multimillion-dollar amounts.
More than 150 police officers from the Criminal Police Sector and police administrations, along with police officers from the Police Support Sector, searched 30 locations in the Sarajevo Canton – residential buildings, business and official premises. During the searches, among other things, cash in the amount of about 200,000 BAM in different currencies (44,950 KM, 64,950 €, 11,195 AED, 11,450 RUB), expensive jewelry, three pistols with several hundred pieces of ammunition, 248 machines for mining cryptocurrencies were found. the value of the devices themselves is approximately $1,200,000 (one million two hundred thousand dollars), and significant amounts of funds in cryptocurrencies. For nine individuals and six legal entities, the State Agency for Investigations and Protection temporarily suspended transactions in the total amount of 429,820 BAM and 82,289 euros.
Six luxury passenger motor vehicles (Audi, Mercedes x 2, BMW, VW Tiguan, Peugeot) were temporarily confiscated.
Due to suspicion of committing organized crime, money laundering, abuse of position or authority, receiving gifts and other forms of benefits, giving gifts and other forms of benefits, seven persons were deprived of their liberty and handed over to the competent prosecutors, while two persons are currently unavailable and warrants have been issued for them.
The Police Department of the MIA of Sarajevo Canton has once again proven itself as a reliable partner to domestic and international institutions in the fight against organized crime and corruption, and continues intensive operational work on this and other cases, announced the CSMIA.
