In the first six months of this year, 11.1 million BAM was laundered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the material damage caused by the commission of these crimes amounted to 6.2 million BAM. This information was confirmed to Dnevni Avaz in the Financial Intelligence Department of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).
SIPA, which has been working on documenting these crimes for years, told Avaz that in the first six months of this year, SIPA submitted ten reports to the competent prosecutor’s offices on the existence of suspicions about committed crimes and perpetrators.
As it was stated, 29 people were registered and money laundering was committed in the amount of BAM 11,156,950.76, while the material damage from the reported crimes amounted to BAM 6,255,177.13.
This agency has been working since mid-March to collect data and information related to various crimes that result in the acquisition of illegal property gains.
Among them are data on crimes committed during the procurement and distribution of medical devices and equipment related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the collected data and information, since the beginning of 2020, seven reports on committed crimes and perpetrators have been submitted to the competent prosecutor’s offices in BiH.
These reports document the existence of suspicion that 16 natural persons and six legal entities committed criminal offenses with which they gained material gain in the total amount of 6,808,131.54 BAM – it was explained from this agency.
SIPA stated that other police authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina also submit reports to the competent prosecutor’s offices on the existence of suspicion of committed criminal offenses and perpetrators of the criminal offense of money laundering. However, as stated, SIPA does not have this information.