52 persons detained in 4 countries during Operation “TARA”
Joint Investigation Supported by the SECI Center
Joint Investigation Supported by the SECI Center
BUCHAREST, April 3rd – Operation “Tara” targeted an international organized group that was illegally transporting people to the European Union countries. The police forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria simultaneously initiated the action early morning, on the 1st of April, detaining 52 persons.
According to the investigative team findings, the organized group was charging up to 1500 Euro per person.
“This was one of the most important operations conducted by the police forces in the region in the recent years. The SECICenter was part of the case from the very beginning. All the information was exchanged using the SECI channel. Very important is our analytical report that helped the case coordinators to decide their actions against the criminal group. This is a perfect example of real police cooperation in the region”, Mitja Močnik, the SECI Center director stated.
The joint international investigation was initiated in 2008 by the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina who submitted to the SECI Center the information about an organized group dealing with illegal migration and people smuggling. Using the secure channel of communication, the law enforcement agencies of several SECI countries exchanged information on this case.
Two meetings have been organized by the SECI Center in order to consolidate the joint investigative team and to assure that all the investigators receive all the existing information, obtained during the investigations lead by the law enforcement agencies from .
Even from the first meeting, held in Sarajevo, in November 2008, the representatives of the countries involved agreed the SECI Center to collect all the available information and to develop an analytical report.
The second meeting, held at the SECI Center headquarters in Bucharest was decisive for drawing the operational plan. The SECI Center analyst who was part of the joint investigative team from the very beginning combined the evidence threads from the national investigative teams and presented to the case officers and analysts a clear image of the organized group. Together, the officers agreed on the new findings and verified the accuracy of the information.
The conclusions drawn at the Bucharest meeting represented the base for the strategic steps of the investigations conducted in the countries.
According to the investigative team findings, the organized group was charging up to 1500 Euro per person.
“This was one of the most important operations conducted by the police forces in the region in the recent years. The SECICenter was part of the case from the very beginning. All the information was exchanged using the SECI channel. Very important is our analytical report that helped the case coordinators to decide their actions against the criminal group. This is a perfect example of real police cooperation in the region”, Mitja Močnik, the SECI Center director stated.
The joint international investigation was initiated in 2008 by the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina who submitted to the SECI Center the information about an organized group dealing with illegal migration and people smuggling. Using the secure channel of communication, the law enforcement agencies of several SECI countries exchanged information on this case.
Two meetings have been organized by the SECI Center in order to consolidate the joint investigative team and to assure that all the investigators receive all the existing information, obtained during the investigations lead by the law enforcement agencies from .
Even from the first meeting, held in Sarajevo, in November 2008, the representatives of the countries involved agreed the SECI Center to collect all the available information and to develop an analytical report.
The second meeting, held at the SECI Center headquarters in Bucharest was decisive for drawing the operational plan. The SECI Center analyst who was part of the joint investigative team from the very beginning combined the evidence threads from the national investigative teams and presented to the case officers and analysts a clear image of the organized group. Together, the officers agreed on the new findings and verified the accuracy of the information.
The conclusions drawn at the Bucharest meeting represented the base for the strategic steps of the investigations conducted in the countries.
