Bosnia and Herzegovina Border Police in cooperation with Croatian Police conducted international operation with code name “South”. The operation was carried out during 2013 with goal to discover and process organized criminal group that were smuggling illegal immigrants from Kosovo* and Republic of Turkey through Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Croatia to Republic of Slovenia and further to Western European countries. From the very beginning the operation was developed with support of SELEC – information exchange through SELEC channels and organization of two operational meetings.
Investigators recorded and provided proofs for the members of the organized crime group that committed 21 crimes during period of using special investigative measures (from 15.01.2013 to 14.05.2013). During mentioned period of time, the members of the organized crime group smuggled 90 people who paying them between 400 and 600 euro per person for every passing the border (for entering in and for exit from Bosnia and Herzegovina). They used the boats for illegally entering Bosnia and Herzegovina over river Drina (border with Republic of Serbia) and then organized illegal passing of the land border with Republic of Croatia.
On 14th of May 2013, the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Police of Republic of Croatia simultaneously finished the operation, which succeeded with the arrest of 23 persons on the territory of Republic of Croatia and 15 persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as with the seizure of 35 mobile phone devices with SIM cards in them, 30 SIM cards separately from the phones, 1 boat engine, a lot of ammunition, as well as a lot of documentation that will be used as proofs during the trial.
On 15th of May 2013, the Croatian authorities organized in Zagreb a press conference related to the implementation of the Operation “South”. At this event, Croatian authorities were represented by the Police representatives – Mr. Vitomir Bijelic, Assistant General Manager and Mr. Dan Savic, Head of Service Organized Crime PNUSKOK, as well as by Mr. Milan Miletic, Croatian Customs-Police Liaison Officer in SELEC. Bosnia and Herzegovina was represented by Mr. Vinko Dumancic, Director of Border Police in the Ministry of Security.