SARAJEVO, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Border police in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have arrested two BiH citizens suspected of attempting to smuggle 15 irregular migrants near the northern border town of Gradiska, authorities said Monday.
According to a statement from the Border Police of BiH, the operation was carried out on May 22 by the Gradiska border police unit in cooperation with the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), which assists in border surveillance.
During an inspection of two passenger vehicles with BiH license plates, officers discovered 12 Bangladeshi nationals and three Pakistani nationals. Police said the duty prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH ordered the arrest of the drivers and the seizure of evidence over suspected migrant smuggling.
The migrants were handed over to the BiH Service for Foreigners' Affairs, along with recommendations for deportation measures.
Official data from Ministry of Security of BiH, showed migrant arrivals at reception centers in the first four months of 2026 increased 67.5 percent compared with the same period last year, underscoring continued pressure along the Western Balkan migration route.
