Bosnian Police Arrest 60 in Major Organised Crime Bust

The joint police operation, which lasted for three days, ended on Wednesday with the arrest of 22 officials from Bosnia's Indirect Taxation Authority, ITA.

Numerous locations were raided and individuals were arrested as part of the investigation into an organised criminal group. Those who were detained by police are suspected of organised crime in conjunction with customs fraud, money laundering, aggravated theft and forging of documents.

Police have requested that 15 of the arrested be ordered into custody.

The Prosecutor's Office said that operation “Carina” is just the beginning of the fight against organised crime and corruption within Bosnia's Indirect Taxation Authority.

The three-day operation was carried out on the order of the Special Department for Organised Crime and Corruption of the state Prosecutor's Office, and it included police agencies from across the country.

Members of the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, jointly with workers of the Indirect Taxation Authority, ITA, and several other police forces, entered the customs office of the ITA and several shipping companies during the operation.

Arrests were carried out in numerous institutions, companies and private apartments.

SIPA members searched 16 facilities in Banja Luka, 12 locations in Bosanska Gradiska, several ITA premises in Bosanski Brod, as well as Foca and Miljevina.

The operation also included the search of the Customs Office in Grude, which led to the arrest of three customs officers and the seizure of evidence.

In Mostar, police raided several facilities and arrested suspects. One shipping company was raided in Posusje, where three customs officers were arrested.

Numerous bags containing evidence were confiscated and over hundred persons were questioned, but most of them were later released.