A total of eight people are suspected of the criminal offense of human trafficking related to the exploitation of two underage girls born in 2009 for the purpose of prostitution, according to the official statement of the Prosecutor’s Office of Tuzla Canton (TC), which presented shocking details about this case.
As stated by the spokesperson of the Prosecutor’s Office of TC, Admir Arnautovic, the order to conduct an investigation for this criminal offense was issued against police officers Besim Kopic (51), Miralem Halilovic (46), Jasmin Modric (30), and Dzevad Pozegic (55), as well as against four other suspects, Semsudin Kadric (39), Zijad Jagodic (61), Sulejman Sehic (67), and Nedim Avdic (41).
Arnautovic added that they were questioned yesterday regarding the mentioned circumstances, and that the Prosecutor’s Office of TC will most likely submit a motion to the Cantonal Court in Tuzla to order detention for all eight suspects.
“Kopic, Kadric, Halilovic, Modric, and Sehic are suspected that in the period from April 2024 to the end of July 2025 they recruited, enticed, transported to different locations in the areas of Kalesija, Zivinice, and Srebrenik, handed over to other persons, and hid two fifteen-year-old girls for the purpose of exploiting them through prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, and that they themselves also used their sexual services, which they paid for. Part of the money from the sexual services that the girls were forced to have with other persons was taken by the primary suspect, Besim Kopic,” said Arnautovic.
Jagodic, Pozegic, and Avdic are suspected that during the mentioned period, although they were aware that the girls were minors and victims of human trafficking, they used their sexual services and paid them for it.
“These are two girls whose development was hindered by difficult family circumstances and who were placed in social institutions in the Tuzla area, as well as in the shelter of the Home for Children without Parental Care in Tuzla, from which they repeatedly ran away and were returned by police officers and centers for social work. The suspects exploited their escape from the institutions and their state of helplessness in order to recruit and entice them into prostitution and to use their sexual services,” added Arnautovic.
The Prosecutor’s Office of TC, in cooperation with investigators from the Criminal Police Sector – Department for Combating Organized and Computer Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of TC, conducted months-long investigative activities and worked on documenting these criminal offenses.
The suspects were detained two days ago after searches were carried out at multiple locations in Kalesija, Zivinice, and Banovici. Criminal processing was conducted on them, and they were handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office along with a report on the committed criminal offense.
For the criminal offense of Human Trafficking under Article 210a, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of the Federation of BiH (whoever recruits, entices, transports, hands over, hides, or receives a person under 18 years of age for the purpose of exploitation through prostitution or another form of sexual exploitation), a prison sentence of at least 10 years is prescribed.
The Prosecutor’s Office of TC continues investigative activities in this case, Klix.ba writes.
