KOSTREŠEVIĆ: ADEQUATE JUDICIAL MEASURES ESSENTIAL IN COMBATING CRIME

PALE, AUGUST 5 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska Police Director Siniša Kostrešević has said today that taking adequate legal measures against individuals linked to criminal offenses committed in the Istočno Sarajevo area is crucial in order to restore public order and security to a satisfactory level.

He stressed that special operational task force has been established and has been continuously working on crimes committed by these individuals over many years, adding that intensive work on solving the two recent criminal offenses are underway. "Several individuals are in custody. One person was handed over yesterday to the District Public Prosecutor's Office Istočno Sarajevo, and pre-trial detention will most likely be requested," Kostrešević said at a press conference. He noted that Đorđe Ždrale, a member of the criminal group, remains at large and that an intensive search is underway. He called on citizens to remain calm and said there would be an increased police presence in the area. "In the coming period, police officers will be much more visible. I ask citizens for patience and cooperation with the police," he said. He also urged citizens to share any information they may have with the police so that law enforcement can act more efficiently against criminal groups. He recalled that the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior, through the Republika Srpska Police, has been seriously combating organised crime for more than 20 years, particularly in the areas of Istočno Sarajevo and Sarajevo. "It is a fact that the conflict between these two organised criminal groups, or more precisely between these two individuals, is primarily personal in nature, and that it has resulted in a series of tragic events that have undermined the security of citizens in Istočnot Sarajevo," Kostrašević stressed. He added that while these individuals were in prison, the security situation was significantly better, and that numerous criminal reports had been filed against them. He noted that judicial institutions have their own responsibilities and role in these matters, and that close cooperation between the judiciary and the police is essential. Over the past two days, members of rival criminal groups have clashed in Istočno Sarajevo, leaving two people wounded, while police are searching for a third individual.