Five police officers from the Gradiška area in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina have been arrested on suspicion of charging drivers for non-existent traffic offences, the Ministry of Interior of the Republika Srpska (Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova Republike Srpske) announced.
The arrests were carried out during an operation named 'Terminal', conducted by members of the Directorate for Organised and Serious Crime of the Ministry of Interior of the Republika Srpska in cooperation with the Gradiška Police Administration. During months of traffic checks, the suspected officers convinced drivers that they were recorded in official records as offenders, despite not having committed any offences.
The officers then demanded and accepted money to release the drivers from sanctions for these fabricated offences. According to suspicions, they also offered the alleged removal of entries from penalty records, further deceiving the victims.
Police searched several locations used by the arrested officers, and disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against them. The arrested officers will be suspended while they face charges of abuse of official position or authority.
Operation 'Terminal' is a continuation of the Ministry of Interior of the Republika Srpska's efforts to combat corruption within the police ranks, and the case has attracted public attention due to the severity of the allegations. Details of the investigation are not yet fully known, but further action by the competent authorities is expected.
