Nine persons were arrested in Republika Srpska (RS) for child pornography within the international operation “Mosaic 2025,” it was announced by the RS Ministry of the Internal Affairs.
These persons were arrested by police officers of the Criminal Police Administration, the Unit for High-Tech Crime, in cooperation with the police administrations of Bijeljina, Zvornik, Banja Luka, and Doboj, due to suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of exploiting children for pornography.
Searches were carried out at 12 locations used by the suspects, and on that occasion, mobile phones, laptops, USB sticks, memory cards, SIM cards, and other devices for storing digital data were found and seized, as well as other items that may be connected with the commission of the criminal offense.
The operation aimed at preventing the sexual exploitation of children was carried out by the RS Ministry of the Internal Affairs in cooperation with Europol and the police forces of Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Hungary.
The criminal offenses were committed in such a way that the suspects, through social networks as well as communication groups, posted and exchanged material of sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
“The suspects were establishing contact with children, and were sending them and directing them to produce child pornography material,” the statement said.
During the implementation of the operation, two victims from the area of Croatia were identified, aged 10 and 13, who are in kinship adoption.
The Criminal Police Administration, the Unit for High-Tech Crime, will in the coming period continue to carry out planned activities on detecting and proving criminal offenses of sexual abuse and exploitation of children, the statement said.
