Bosnian police arrested six people on 19 June 2023, the eighth action day of a three-year operation against a large criminal network trafficking drugs and weapons, laundering money and corrupting officials.[1] The arrests brought to 38 the number of people detained over three years for links to the organised crime group, Europol said.[1]

Eight of the 38 held had positions in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national administration, according to the operation’s published results.[1] One high-value target arrested in Germany was extradited to Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1] Europol said the operation’s seizures included more than 300 kg of cannabis, alongside real estate and cash worth over 6 million euros in total.[1]

Bosnian outlet Avaz carried the same operation results the day they were published, including the 38 arrests, the eight officials and the 300 kg of cannabis.[2]

The investigation began in 2021 and focused on a network producing and trafficking drugs across the Western Balkans, the European Union and South America.[1] Europol said leads came from analysing suspects’ messages on the encrypted ANOM and SkyECC apps, the latter shut down in 2021.[1] Bosnia’s Federal Ministry of Interior, the Republika Srpska interior ministry, the Border Police and the State Prosecutor’s Office took part, with Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office and prosecutors.[1]