In an effort to strengthen the fight against organised crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH participated in a two-day study visit to UK judicial institutions, organised by the AIRE Centre, with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom and the British Embassy in Sarajevo.
The study visit is part of a wider set of activities through which the AIRE Centre has supported the initiative and efforts of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina to enhance and strengthen the capacity of its analytical department, which will focus on pre-investigation and investigation procedures in cases of organised crime and corruption.
The delegation of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, accompanied by Jill Thomas, the AIRE Centre Asset Recovery Advisor and Martina Raguž, AIRE Centre Project Manager, held meetings with experts from several UK institutions specialising in combatting the most complex forms of crime. The visit began with meetings at the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre and the International Corruption Unit, both operating within the UK’s National Crime Agency. These institutions conduct cross-border investigations into money laundering and systemic corruption, often in cooperation with prosecutors and law enforcement authorities worldwide. The first day of the visit also included a meeting with representatives of the newly established UK National Domestic Corruption Unit, hosted at the City of London Police.
“Efforts to combat corruption and organised crime must focus on its core objective – profit. Visiting institutions with decades of experience in asset tracing and confiscation helped us assess how to further strengthen our own approach. We are grateful to the Government of the United Kingdom, the British Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the AIRE Centre for supporting our efforts to build institutional capacity to fight corruption and organised crime”, said Legal Advisor-Investigator at the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH.
In Birmingham, the delegation met with representatives of the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit and the Crown Prosecution Service Proceeds of Crime Division, focusing on operational cooperation between police and prosecutors, the use of special investigative measures, and strategies for managing complex organised crime investigations, particularly financial investigations, asset confiscation, and money laundering.
“The study visit enabled representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH to exchange experiences with counterparts from UK anti-corruption and organised crime agencies, to learn about cutting-edge operational practices, and to enhance their knowledge of strategies for the effective prosecution of the most complex criminal offences. We are especially pleased that this initiative has resulted in direct contact between institutions, laying the groundwork for stronger inter-institutional cooperation in the future”, said Martina Raguž.
The study visit forms part of the AIRE Centre’s broader programme, supported by the Government of the United Kingdom and the British Embassy in Sarajevo, to strengthen the capacity of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina to effectively prosecute organised crime and corruption, with a particular emphasis on financial investigations and asset confiscation. Amid increasingly complex challenges facing the judiciary in BiH, continued cooperation with UK institutions contributes to building a more resilient and independent institutional response.
