BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
Tackling organized crime in South East Europe
Bosnia and Herzegovina sits in both a transit and destination region for a wide range of crime types including drug trafficking, illegal migration, counterfeit goods and trafficking in human beings.
A common regional history, cross-border family ties, shared languages and no-visa border regimes make Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its surrounding region, particularly attractive to Balkan organized crime groups.
This environment provides fertile ground for the recruitment of vulnerable youth into organized crime groups and terrorism. Driven by profit, these activities can have devastating economic, social and security impacts on communities.
The INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) in Southeast Europe have access to our range of policing capabilities, global investigative intelligence and secure network linking them all our member countries. This puts them in a unique position to examine regional organized crime from a global standpoint to help national agencies to protect their people, economies and security.
INTERPOL in Bosnia and Herzegovina
NCB Sarajevo is the unique point of contact for police cooperation relating to all Bosnia and Herzegovina investigations with an international link.
The NCB monitors regional routes used to traffic human beings, arms, stolen vehicles, drugs and pharmaceuticals. Expert officers work with other NCBs to investigate financial crime, illegal immigration, war crimes, terrorism, cybercrime, environmental crime and fugitives.
As part of measures to boost national security and detect criminals nationwide, the NCB has made INTERPOL’s databases accessible to 16 national police agencies, the National Magistrate’s Court, National Prosecutor’s Office, Foreign Affairs Office and Indirect Taxation Authority.
National law enforcement
The organization of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national law enforcement services reflects its multi-level governmental structure. The country comprises three entities - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Srpska and the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina - each of which has their own police department.
In addition, the Federation is subdivided into 10 cantons, each with its own government which operates under the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole.
Under the Ministry of Security, national law enforcement and security services are delivered through a number of different national institutions including:
- Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- State Investigation and Protection Agency
- Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Service for foreigners' affairs / Immigration service
