BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Information exchange and law enforcement agencies

LEGISLATION AND PRACTICE

Jinan, China, June 2013.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA IN GENERAL

POPULATION: 4 377 000 (Census

1991.) Territory area-51129

km2 INTERNAL

ORGANISATION: Federation BIH Republika Srpska Brčko District

JUDICAL SISTEM

BIH JUDICAL SYSTEM CONSISTS OF ENTITY AND BRČKO DISTRICT LEVEL AND STATE JUDICAL LEVEL.

JUDICAL SYSTEM AT THE STATE LEVEL INCLUDES THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF BIH AND THE COURT OF BIH

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINAENTITY MAP

Organized Crime - serious threat to security

Organized Crime, especially its most complex forms, criminal networks operating in several states, are a serious threat to security in the Western Balkans.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL GROUPS

A number of cases, in particular those related to criminal offences of Illegal immigrant and drug smuggling, revealed that perpetrators are international criminal groups that don’t even speak the same language (crime syndicates involved citizens of Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, BiH, Croatia).

Drugs - danger for children and youth - the most vulnerable population

Illegal immigrant smuggling – danger to border security and the reputation of our country abroad.

Counterfeiting of Money – danger to financial and monetary system.

Functioning Organized Criminal Groups – danger to public safety i.e. safety of all citizens

ORGANIZED CRIME RELATED DANGERS

Throughout the past 10 years the Prosecutors of the BiH Prosecutor’s Office have detected and criminally prosecuted more than 10 organized criminal groups operating in all parts of BiH.

The results are a number of rendered imprisonment sentences the total duration of which exceeds several dozen years, and forfeiture of proceeds of crime amounting to millions of BAM.

COMBATING ORGANIZED CRIME

INFORMATION EXCHANGE-PRECONDITION FOR

SUCCESS

Modalities of cooperation between police agencies and judicial institutions were developed in the recent years.

A number of Memorandums on Cooperation were concluded, direct communication channels and liaison officers set up.

In the last few operations carried out per order of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH a number of police agencies participated with several hundreds of police officers .

COOPERATION WITH COUNTERPARTS

Considering the fact that BiH is surrounded by states who speak the same language and share a historical background, the cooperation with countries in the region was constantly strengthened

A number of joint police-prosecution operations were carried out simultaneously in several countries, resulting with the arrests of several dozens of persons and a number of raids conducted on multiple locations.

There are cases where one group of the accused was prosecuted in BiH and the other group in a neighboring state.

REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH is intensively strengthening its cooperation with judicial and police agencies in the region and the rest of the world.

There are more and more cases involving criminal offenders from several different countries.

It is therefore necessary to maintain permanent contact and cooperation with institutions such as Interpol, Europol, Eurojust etc.

Financial Crime- danger to economic and monetary stability

From its inception the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH was granted jurisdiction to detect and prosecute criminal offences of Money Laundering, Tax and Customs Fraud, as well as Failure to Pay Taxes.

Criminal Offence of Money Laundering

These criminal offences occur when there exist efforts to “pump” the money generated through commission of a crime into legal financial flaw, most often through purchase of real estates, companies or vehicles

Criminal Offences of Money Laundering

Criminal offences out of the economic related area are extremely dangerous because they undermine the economic stability of the state, and are particularly dangerous for post-conflict countries in transition

Criminal Offence of Money Laundering

The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH has detected cases of major manipulations and money laundering amounting to several million BAM.

We shall continue with such efforts in the future as well.

This particular fight requires activities from all structures of authority i.e. judicial and police institutions, legislative and executive authorities.

There are many tasks and obligations on our path to EU that relate to strengthening of police and judicial mechanisms to combat organized crime, because Europe wants its future member countries to be safe countries with the established rule of law that shall be above politics or individuals.

How to fight organized and economic crime?

Fight against organized crime- future strategic directions

Police and Judicial agencies equipped with modern technical equipment for crime detection

Harmonization of legislation ensuring that it keeps track of institutions combating crime

Fight against organized and economic crime

- future strategic directions Hiring young

experts to fight sophisticated forms of crime

Hiring economic experts and investigators to detect economic crimes.

Fight against organized and economic crime

- future strategic directions

Joining European judicial and police associations

EUROPOL and EUROJUST and using quality analytic data bases.

-Development of analytic crime-intelligence data base in BiH

Fight against organized and economic crime

- future strategic directions Develop

cooperation with police and judiciary of the countries in the region.

Develop cooperation with international associations combating crime

Improvement of technical resources available for the work of police and prosecutors

Strengthening of specific capacities in police and judiciary

Increase of human resources Better cooperation with regional

and international law enforcement agencies

Fight against organized and economic crime

- future strategic directions

Thank you for your attention!

Goran Salihović Chief Prosecutor Prosecutor’s Office of BiH Kraljice Jelene 88 71 000 Sarajevo Bosna i Hercegovina +387 33 707 400 info@tuzilastvobih.gov.ba www.tuzilastvobih.gov.ba