In the period from 27 to 29 January 2017, at the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Western Balkans, joint international operational action JAD WB 2016 has been implemented, targeted at the prevention and elucidation of criminal offences related to illegal trafficking of firearms and explosive devices, while not neglecting prevention and elucidation of other criminal offences in the field of organised crime.
Apart from Western Balkans, its participation in the operational action took also Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Kosovo, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA, as well as FRONTEX and EUROPOL. For the purpose of more effective information exchange, coordination and implementation of the operational action, an operational center has been established at the headquarters of EUROPOL, Hague, in which representatives of the law enforcement agencies of all countries covered by the action have been situated in the course of the action, together with EUROPOL experts who in a timely manner provided check results through analytical EUROPOL databases. In the course of the action, a remarkable level of communication, coordination and cooperation has been achieved which is evidenced by the number of exchanged information between participating countries.
In addition to the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of B&H, its participation took also the following police authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina: State Investigation and Protection Agency, Border Police of B&H, Indirect Taxation Authority of B&H, Ministry of Interior (MoI) of the Republic of Srpska, Federal Police Administration, MoI of Sarajevo Canton, MoI of Zenica-Doboj Canton, MoI of Central Bosnia Canton, MoI of Herzegovina Neretva Canton, MoI of Una Sana Canton, MoI of Posavina Canton, MoI of Tuzla Canton, MoI of Bosnian Podrinje Canton, MoI of West Herzegovina Canton and MoI of Canton 10 Livno.
In the course of implementation of the operational action, law enforcement agencies in B&H have carried out searches on 36,068 persons, 1,721 vehicles, 12,311 documents and 17 pieces of firearms, on which occasion two persons have been apprehended and two crimes elucidated, while one firearm and several rounds of ammunition of different caliber have been seized. Searches have also been carried out on specific persons and vehicles by police authorities in B&H on the basis of information provided by EUROPOL and other countries participating in the operational action.
The Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of B&H expresses its appreciation to all law enforcement agencies in B&H whose representatives took participation in the preparation and implementation of the operational action, and points out its readiness for further undertaking of measures and activities within its competence in order to combat crimes and offences from this crime area.