The incident in Orahovac near Gradiška is yet another example—and confirmation—of why Republika Srpska must not allow itself to become part of the UK’s disastrous plan, supported by the European Union, to turn this region into a migrant hub for approximately 50,000 unwanted refugees.
This was stated to Glas Srpske by security expert Dževad Galijašević, commenting on the recent operation by the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska in which six migrants from Afghanistan were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and detaining Pakistani nationals in a house in the aforementioned village, demanding a ransom from the victims’ families.
According to current information, the Afghan gang demanded €1,000 per person. The case was uncovered after one of the victims’ relatives contacted an agency. Thanks to the swift intervention of Republika Srpska’s police forces, all kidnapped individuals were located, and six suspected perpetrators were apprehended. Some media report that the abductions took place in Sarajevo and that one of the arrested Afghans was already wanted for drug and arms trafficking. The suspects will be handed over to the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs after processing.
According to Galijašević, such criminal migrant groups clearly pose a significant danger to the local population and to the overall stability of the country.
“What do you think would happen if 50,000 unwanted migrants from the UK or some EU countries were sent here? The backgrounds of these individuals are questionable—just like the ones arrested in Gradiška,” Galijašević emphasized.
He said that the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska should investigate how these Afghan nationals entered BiH, how they obtained weapons, and who is providing them with support or protection—given that similar gangs have been operating almost undisturbed in BiH for years, especially in Sarajevo and border areas of the Federation of BiH.
“These are not just criminals engaged in smuggling and kidnapping. Some of them certainly have terrorist and radical backgrounds. Their support networks must be identified. Unfortunately, authorities in the Federation turn a blind eye. The entire federal and a part of the state system have protected these people so far. And clearly, Sarajevo has no objection to turning BiH into a hub for tens of thousands of unwanted migrants from the UK,” Galijašević said.
The existence of armed, organized migrant criminal groups originating from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Morocco—who exploit migrants by smuggling them into the EU, robbing, blackmailing, kidnapping, and even murdering them—was recently highlighted by Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik in a document submitted to the National Assembly.
He called on lawmakers to support the adoption of a declaration aimed at blocking plans by the UK and certain EU states to turn Republika Srpska into an offshore reception center for unwanted migrants. The document states that operational fieldwork has revealed the presence of Afghan nationals in these criminal groups, some of whom gained residency in Serbia through marriage, often with Roma women. These individuals speak the local language fluently and use this knowledge in their criminal activities.
It also states that these criminal groups are especially active in the Federation, particularly in Sarajevo and the Una-Sana Canton, where several murders, kidnappings, and illegal weapons possession cases have been documented. The perpetrators are typically Moroccan or Afghan nationals who target wealthier migrants, kidnap them, hide them in remote forested areas near the Croatian border, and contact families to demand ransoms ranging from a few hundred to several thousand euros.
This issue was also highlighted in a recent investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). Their analysis states that the most notorious and violent Afghan gang operating in BiH is BVK. Reportedly established at the end of 2023, this group initially controlled smuggling routes in Serbia but shifted operations to BiH after Serbian police launched a major crackdown on armed gangs near the Hungarian border. Those clashes involved Afghan and Moroccan gangs, with Albanian criminals from Kosovo and Albania supplying them with weapons.
According to BIRN, the Afghan BVK gang now operates throughout the Federation and mainly targets migrants near the border, demanding ransoms between €400 and €6,000 per person. The money is allegedly transferred to bank accounts in Turkey. The profitability of this “business” is reflected in one account linked to the gang, where police found over €70,000. BVK uses so-called “fixers”—informants who provide details about migrants crossing the border, helping them plan abductions. Interestingly, BIRN reports that some BVK members have Italian passports, enabling easy travel in and out of BiH.
Previous cases
Numerous past incidents show that some migrants are becoming increasingly violent and ruthless. In August last year, three Afghans kidnapped a fellow migrant near the “Lipa” camp, threatening him with weapons and demanding €15,000. At the end of the year, five Afghans kidnapped nine Syrians, beat them, and recorded the abuse on mobile phones. These videos were sent to the victims’ families with a €1,500 ransom demand per person. Another case involved the abduction of 19 Syrian migrants near Velika Kladuša. In Sarajevo, an Afghan gang demanded €18,000 in total for the release of kidnapped migrants.
Source: Glas Srpske
