SIPA

In all segments of the SIPA’s work, a substantial progress has been made in the quantitative and qualitative terms. In the first half of 2012, the police officials of SIPA filed 152 criminal reports with competent prosecutor's offices against 420 people, while 94 people were deprived of liberty.
In the fight against financial crimes, among which the most common criminal offences were abuse of position or powers, lack of commitment to service, tax evasion, customs fraud, gift giving and receiving gifts and other forms of benefits, and other corruption offences, the SIPA filed to the prosecutor's offices 38 reports against 169 individuals, 20 legal entities and an unidentified person due to grounded suspicion that they committed the above crimes, which is 26% more reports filed in relation to this type of crime in comparison to the same period in 2011. It is estimated that the total material damage/unlawful gain caused by perpetration of criminal offences related to financial crime is about three million KM.
One of the priorities of the SIPA in the reporting period was the fight against illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, and in the first six months of 2012 SIPA filed 19 reports against 62 identified people and 8 unidentified people due to grounded suspicion that they committed the drug related crimes, which is about 19% more reports compared to the same period in 2011. In the large-scale operations conducted in the reporting period, the SIPA seized 39.764 kg of the narcotic drug marijuana (skunk), 7.51 kg of heroin, and 7 kg of narcotic drug speed. It is estimated that the market value of the seized drugs is about half a million.
The SIPA achieved the remarkable results in the prevention of illicit trafficking in weapons and military equipment. In the first half 2012, the SIPA filed six reports against 11 physical persons and 5 legal entities due to grounded suspicion that they committed crime of illicit weapons trafficking or offences brought in connection with this type of crime. By orders of the Prosecutor's Office, several operations were carried out resulting in seizure of 32 pieces of long barrel weapons, 18 pieces of short barrel weapons, and over eight thousand pieces of various mine-explosive devices. In one of the operations, the SIPA disrupted an international chain of illicit trafficking in weapons and military equipment when four persons, two of which were citizens of France, were deprived of liberty.
The SIPA’s Financial Intelligence Department has achieved the best results so far and within the period 01.01 - 30.06.2012, it filed 3 reports to the Prosecutor's Office against 8 physical persons and one legal entity due to grounded suspicion that they committed the criminal offence of money laundering and predicate criminal offences. The investigations determined that the amount of money suspected to be laundered is around 1,200,000.00 KM. The SIPA, in the reporting period, requested from the Prosecutor's Office to suspend transactions in the amount of KM 900,000.00 and € 130,000.00. The blocked funds were temporarily seized and deposited in a special account until the completion of the proceedings.
The SIPA, in the reporting period, filed 6 reports against 16 identified people and 4 unidentified people due to grounded suspicion of having committed criminal offences of human trafficking and offences that can be brought in connection with this type of crime.
Working on the investigations of criminal offences of war crimes, the police officials of SIPA, in the first half of 2012, filed 43 reports to the competent prosecutor's office against 62 identified people and several unidentified people due to grounded suspicion of having committed criminal offences punishable under the international war and humanitarian laws. Under the investigations of these crimes, 12 people were deprived of liberty.
Material-technical equipment of the Agency during the reporting period was performed in accordance with the procurement plan and within the available budget.
Impressive results of the SIPA in the first half of 2012 were achieved, among other things, thanks to an increased cooperation in exchanging information with other partners in the security sector in B&H and the region and joint work on cases, which is entirely consistent with the Agency's commitment.
Bearing in mind the results achieved, as well as the cases on which the police officials of the Agency are currently working and which are expected to be completed by the end of the year, it is realistic to expect that the results of the SIPA’s work in 2012, when celebrating the ten years since its establishment, will be the best so far.