SIPA

On 23 April 2014, Slaven Rosić, Liaison Officer at SELEC (Southeast European Law Enforcement Centre) presented Goran Zubac, Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) with a recognition for a successful implementation of the operation code-named “Bos”. An appropriate award was also presented to the investigative team directly involved in this case.

The “Bos” operation aimed at combating organised financial crime and corruption was evaluated one of the best international police operations of the SELEC member countries in 2013. The State Investigation and Protection Agency was the initiator and in charge of activities within this case carried out in coordination with police authorities of Hungary and Turkey.

At the press conference held on the occasion of presenting this recognition at the official premises of SIPA, the Director of SIPA expressed his satisfaction with the successful cooperation with SELEC during the activities within “Bos” and “Master” cases and announced continuation of activities in current investigations which are expected to be finalised soon. “This is a recognition for international police cooperation, which is an objective of SIPA, to be a strong and reliable partner in international operational police cooperation”, said among other things Director Zubac. He particularly emphasised that the cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office BH and Indirect Taxation Authority BH, during the activities within this case, was very successful. The Director Zubac presented the Liaison Officer of BH at SELEC with an embedded emblem of SIPA as a symbol of gratitude to SELEC for their cooperation.

We would like to note that the “Bos” case covered a highly organised criminal group hierarchically arranged with a precise distribution of tasks and immense financial power. The investigation carried out under the supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office BH determined the modality of customs fraud, namely illegal import of textile goods from several countries into BH. Within a six month period in 2012, activities of this group made damages to the budget BH in the amount of at least BAM 3.5 million.

During the activities within this case, SIPA submitted six reports on a perpetrated criminal offence and perpetrators against 34 physical and 16 legal persons to the Prosecutor’s Office BH.

During “Bos” operation, nine individuals were arrested and detention was imposed on seven of them. During the operation in 2012, buildings at 28 locations in BH were searched, whereby bank and home safes, substantial amount of cash, financial and other documents, as well as other items that might be used as evidence in further proceedings were found.

One of the most important outcomes of this operation is the fact that after the “Bos” operation, the Indirect Taxation Authority BH registered an increase of BAM 36 million in the amount of revenue in the 20 days after the operation, compared to the same period of the previous year.

During the “Bos” case activities, certain intelligence became clearer, based on which “Master” case was developed and also successfully carried out. The investigations within the “Bos” and “Master” cases resulted in arrests of 27 members of the organised criminal group. Out of the total number of the arrested individuals, nine of them were employees of state government authorities and they were suspected of having committed criminal offences of corruption.