‘Let’s protect children in traffic’ in Bijeljina

FBI: Criminal groups from BiH threaten US national security

One dead, one badly wounded in attempted robbery of ‘Derby’ betting shop in Sarajevo

Eight suspects arrested, 1,5 kg of heroin seized during Operation Transit

Firearms, bombs, mobile phones seized during search in Banja Luka

Underage boys beaten in Mostar for wearing ‘Zrinjski’ tracksuit

ITA Trade Union President receives death threats

Filipovic: BiH Constitution not made to last forever

OHR not to be abolished by October

Rizvo: We have fulfilled all technical and political conditions

 

Nezavisne Novine, pg 8 – Officers of the Bijeljina PSC visited primary schools ‘Vuk Karadzic’ and ‘Sveti Sava’ yesterday in Bijeljina, where they distributed leaflets and fluorescent armbands to schoolchildren in an effort to increase their safety by enabling drivers to spot them earlier and from further away.

The police also organised a lecture explaining “how to protect ourselves in traffic”.

Bijeljina PSC Traffic Inspector Zeljko Bosnjak said the aim of the activity was to contribute to safe movement of all traffic, especially children.

“We have noted that children and other pedestrians have a very bad habit of not making themselves visible to drivers, especially in bad weather conditions,” said Bosnjak, reminding that the PSC’s intensified activities are part of a project launched by the RS MoI, which implies increased police presence in school zones and education of children.

 

Vecernji List, pg 3 – The daily infers from a text published on the FBI website that organised criminal groups in BiH, Serbia, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Montenegro pose an increasing threat to the US national security.

“Balkan organized crime is an emerging threat in the U.S. While several groups are active in various cities across the country, they do not yet demonstrate the established criminal sophistication of traditional Eurasian or La Cosa Nostra organizations. However, they have proven themselves capable of adapting to expanding criminal markets and becoming involved in new activities, much like the historical growth of other organized crime groups,” says the FBI.

 

 

Dnevni Avaz, front page and pg 16 – A shooting occurred during an attempted robbery of ‘Derby’ betting shop in Ciglanska Street in Sarajevo yesterday morning, leaving one dead and one badly wounded. Unofficially, two armed robbers stormed into the betting shop, pointing their guns at a woman working there and demanding money. However, instead of giving them money, the woman, who also had a gun, shot one of the robbers, after which the other robber shot her three times in the chest, abdomen, and the left knee.

As the robber’s body was found in front of the betting shop, the police say it is possible that he was gunned down while he was trying to run away. It is possible that the other robber was shot as well.

Also unofficially, the murdered robber is underage Alen Magas, a protégé of the Institute for Male Children and Youth in Hum.

 

Glas Srpske, front page and pg 17, Press RS, front page and pg 14-15, Nezavisne Novine, front page and pgs 16-17, Oslobodjenje, pg 12, Dnevni Avaz, pg 17 - Officers of the Banja Luka PSC arrested eight persons, searched six homes and three cars, and seized around one and a half kilos of heroin during Operation Transit, which represented the continuation of Operation Network 2010.

Ljiljana Mandic (52) and Ljiljana Milasinovic (45) from Banja Luka, as well as Zlatko Savic (42) from Croatia, were questioned and then handed over to the County Prosecutor’s Office in Banja Luka, while the Croatian citizens Marin Knezevic (29) and Zan Dorcic (36), as well as Sakib Osmanovic (29) from Bijeljina, Ibrahim Sefitagic (42) from Sarajevo and Branislav Nisic (29) from Banja Luka were released after questioning. 

Banja Luka PSC Chief Darko Culum stated at a press conference yesterday that the three who were handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office were arrested on Sunday evening in the Bosanska Gradiska area, as they were travelling in a Golf 6, in which the drugs were found.

The arrests and the searches were conducted in the areas of Banja Luka, Bosanska Gradiska, and Prnjavor. The RS MoI’s Crime Police Administration participated in the operation as well.

 

Nezavisne Novine, pg 8, Glas Srpske, pg 13, Dnevni Avaz, pg 17 – Officers of the Banja Luka PSC searched the home of Ramo Boskovic (25) in Veseli Brijeg, Banja Luka, on Friday afternoon, seizing a CZ gun, a ‘Scorpion’, four hand grenades, 22 mobile phones, five LCD monitors, and other items believed to be stolen during break-ins. Boskovic was arrested and released after questioning.

“He will be charged with a number of criminal offences, including illegal production and trafficking of weapons and explosive devices, and a series of aggravated thefts,” the PSC said in a statement yesterday.

 

Dnevni List, front page and pgs 14-15 – Two secondary school students, Zvonimir Kozulj (16) from Bijelo Polje and Ivan Coric (16) from Citluk, were attacked and severely beaten yesterday afternoon by a group of unidentified delinquents in the vicinity of the Spanish Square in Mostar. Fortunately, drivers passing through the square pulled over and rushed to help the boys, causing the delinquents to scatter in all directions.

The victims’ teachers and a pedagogue believe the boys were attacked on ethnic grounds, which is possible because Kozulj was wearing a tracksuit of the Croatian Sports Club ‘Zrinski’. The incident has been reported to the police.

 

Vecernji List, front page and pg 2 – President of the Indirect Taxation Authority Trade Union Mehmedalija Osmic has been receiving death threats again. This time, the threatening message saying “You are dead” was found written on a wall of Osmic’s house. The incident has been reported to the police.

“He has taken his family out of BiH, as he was advised to do so by the embassy of an EU country where his family has found shelter. Foreign diplomats have concluded that BiH’s authorities can’t protect Osmic and his family,” one of Osmic’s colleagues told the daily.

Asked what he will do next, Osmic told Vecernji List that he will soon publicly disclose all data about illegal activities in ITA.

 

 

Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 - The High Representative and EU Special Representative, Valentin Inzko, held talks in Sarajevo yesterday with a US Congressional Delegation headed by Congressman Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota.

Inzko described the serious obstacles that have been placed in the way of reforms that would ease widespread economic hardship and get BiH back onto the road to Euro-Atlantic integration.

However, he also briefed the US visitors on the intensive consultations that are now underway, among BiH political party leaders and representatives of the International Community, with a view to ending the deadlock that has made progress impossible for the last three years.

“The International Community has made it clear to all of the domestic parties that although they can hold up progress they cannot prevent it in the long run and it should not be held up in the interest of BiH citizens,” the HR/EUSR said. “Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity is not going to be challenged and its destiny as a member of NATO and the European Union is not going to be jeopardized by irresponsible or obstructionist politics.”

 

Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 – Deputy Chairman of BiH Parliament’s House of Peoples Ilija Filipovic stated during yesterday’s meeting with a US Congressional Delegation that the Dayton Peace Agreement was important because it stopped the bloodshed in BiH, “but its Annex 4, i.e. the Constitution of BiH, was not made to last forever”.

“Time has come for fundamental constitutional changes and their implementation is impossible without a strong support from the EU and the USA, i.e. if the insistence on local leaders’ agreement continues,” said Filipovic.

The US Congressional Delegation also met with Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola Spiric and the members of the BiH Presidency.

Glas Srpske, pg 2, Nezavisne Novine, pg 2 “Constitutional changes needed” – “The USA is BiH’s great friend and ally, but the fact is that progress and positive changes within BiH can be done only by its citizens,” said Congressman Earl Pomeroy.

 

Glas Srpske, pg 2, Nezavisne Novine, front page and pgs 2-3 – The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) will most probably not recommend the abolition of the OHR before October, High Representative in BiH Valentin Inzko said yesterday in Sarajevo, during a two-day BiH-EU inter-parliamentary meeting.

He stressed that the prolonged stay of the OHR will slow down BiH’s path towards the EU, saying that BiH authorities are responsible for this fact “because they have hardly made any progress in the reforms that make the country stronger”.

“The constitutional reform is crucial for the stability of BiH. The judgement given by the European Court of Human Rights has to be implemented as well. We are aware that the forthcoming elections are not the best possible opportunity for the reforms in this country, but that can be no excuse,” said Inzko.

 

Dnevni Avaz, pg 8 – BiH has fulfilled both technical and political conditions for getting the visa-free regime with the EU, Head of the BiH Negotiating Team Samir Rizvo tells Avaz.

“However, it is necessary that the EC experts agree with this assessment as well,” stressed Rizvo.

“What we still need to do is to appoint the heads of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies. That procedure is in progress and I expect that it will be finalised before than the experts have made their final assessment,” said Rizvo.

The expert team was yesterday checking whether BiH had accomplished the task in the field of the fight against organised crime and corruption, cooperation among the security agencies etc.

“They will also be interested in the forming of the Anticorruption Agency. However, our task was to adopt the Law on the Fight against Corruption, which is one step more than requested, and which we have already taken,” said Rizvo.

 

Dnevni Avaz – FBiH Minister of Work and Social Policy Jelecevic: Difficult year ahead of us

Oslobodjenje – Mantzouranis: BiH needs institutions capable of supporting EU decisions

Nezavisne Novine – OHR not to be abolished by October

Press RS – Spectacular arrest: Drug dealers arrested with 1,5 kg of heroin!

Glas Srpske – Three arrested, 1,5 kg of heroin seized in Operation Transit

Dnevni List – Underage boys attacked for wearing ‘Zrinjski’ tracksuit

Vecernji List – Three die in Bosanska Krajina as freezing weather grips BiH