According to SIPA, the marijuana originated in Kosovo, and was intended for the Swiss market. The police discovered the drugs in an apartment belonging to one of the suspects, along with a forged €500 bill, mobile phones and SIM cards. The Office of the Prosecutor of BiH will decide on what charges if any will be filed.
These crimes carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Sarajevo is one of the regional hubs for trafficking of drugs including heroin and Marijuana. Drugs are distributed through persons travelling between Bosnian communities of former war time refugees in Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Austria and other European countries.
Kosovo also serves as a hub for traffickers bringing drugs from Turkey and Afghanistan into Europe. In May and June of this year, the Kosovo police arrested more than 110 people on drug-related charges. Five individuals have so far been found guilty of organized crime and drug trafficking. Kosovo prosecutors and the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), European Union administrators, are currently prosecuting 20 additional cases. During the arrests, police found 50 kilograms of marijuana and over 15 kilograms of heroin were seized.
On November 29, Kosovo customs officers seized25 kilograms of heroin on a bus near the Kosovo border with Macedonia.
“It is very encouraging to see that Kosovo Customs and Kosovo Border Police have demonstrated initiative and enthusiasm in this operation,” said Michael Marsden, the Head of EULEX Customs. “The amount of drugs seized on this occasion is substantial, representing around fifty per cent of the total heroin seized in Kosovo in the previous year. This successful operation shows how well local law enforcement agencies are progressing.”
“Kosovo Police is more active in the fight against drugs. Over the last 6 months we increased our anti-narcotics operations by 32%, compared to the same period last year. The same amount of drug seizures took place,” said Bahri Shala, Chief of the Kosovo Police Directorate of Investigations.
The Kosovo authorities are working closely with EULEX in their fight against organized crime and drug trafficking.
