INDICTMENT ISSUED AGAINST SIX PERSONS FOR SMUGGLING OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

A Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption within the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH issued an indictment against the following persons:

- Bešić Meho, born on October 21, 1972 in Berlin - Federal Republic of Germany, residing in Srebrenik, with prior convictions, BiH citizen,

- Mašić Elvedin, born on November 26, 1977 in Srebrenik where he resides, with prior convictions, BiH citizen

- Nikola Stojanović, born on November 22, 1964 in Celje - Slovenia, residing in Gradačac, with prior convictions, citizen of BiH and the  Republic of Croatia,

- Salkić Nail, born on July 27, 1969 in Srebrenik where he resides, with prior convictions, BiH citizen,

- Žilić Damir, born on March 13, 1975 in Hagen - Federal Republic of Germany, residing in Srebrenik, BiH citizen; and

- Omerović Zijad, born on June 15, 1969 in Srebrenik where he resides, BiH citizen.

As alleged in the indictment during the months of September and October 2012 in the municipality of Srebrenik the accused have, as a group organized for the smuggling of migrants, perpetrated illegal smuggling of migrants across the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and further to the EU countries.

The indictment alleges that in the aim to obtain illegal benefits the first accused Bešić, as the organizer and leader of the group, engaged all the other members of the group to commit criminal acts of smuggling of eight citizens of the Republic of Turkey, who did not possess valid travel documents that would allow them to cross the state border, from the territory of BiH to the territory of Germany for a certain sum of money.

The accused Mašić Elvedin and Stojanović Nikola are charged with having, following a previous agreement made with the aim of obtaining illegal benefits, illegally transported three citizens of the Republic of Turkey from the Republic of Serbia through Bosnia and Herzegovina and into the Federal Republic of Germany in November 2012 for a certain sum of money.

The aforementioned actions constitute a criminal offense and are in violation of Article 6 of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air and Articles 15 and 16 of the Law on Movement and Stay of Aliens and Asylum.

The indictment charges the accused persons with having committed the criminal offense of Organizing a group or an association for the purpose of perpetration of the criminal offences of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants under Article 189a of the CC BiH; the accused Mašić Elvedin and Stojanović Nikola are additionally charged with the criminal offense of Smuggling of Persons under Article 189 of the CC BiH, in conjunction with Article 26 of the same Code.