FBIS4-54904
"dreeu088cc_94001"
FBIS-EEU-94-088
Daily Report
14 Apr 1994
INTER-EUROPEAN AFFAIRS
Austrian Police Arrest `Yugomafia' Leaders
Austrian Police Arrest `Yugomafia' Leaders
94BA0257B Trieste REPUBLIKA in Slovene 14 Apr 94 p 4
94BA0257B
Trieste REPUBLIKA
Slovene
CSO
[Article by Igor Schellander: "Blow to the `Yugomafia'"]
[Text] Splendid success by the Austrian police; 35
individuals and the leadership of an organization headquartered
in Belgrade arrested; further proceedings under way.
Vienna--The Austrian police have succeeded in a decisive
blow
against part of the organized crime operating from Austrian
territory. At a news conference, representatives of the Group
for the Struggle Against Organized Crime [EDOK], a special
section within the Austrian Ministry of Internal Affairs,
reported the arrest of 35 individuals and the leadership of an
organization that was named the "Yugomafia" in official jargon.
With indictments, the Austrian security authorities have
initiated proceedings against 150 other individuals. In
connection with this, Director for Public Security Michael Sika
revealed that the state authorities had managed to obtain
concrete evidence of the organized activity of the so-called
Yugoslav mafia for the first time.
Both the head of the international criminal
network--33-year-old Zajim Sabanagic--and most of the captured
members are former Yugoslav citizens from Serbia. The goal of
the well-organized gang was to acquire and cash in on monetary
funds that were derived primarily from the theft of credit cards
and bank checks, dealing in drugs, automobiles and weapons, and
protection rackets. The Yugomafia's network, according to the
Austrian detective, was professionally organized and
commercially well-concealed.
The theft of credit cards and bank and traveler's checks
(they found 1,500 checks worth 3.5 million schillings) was
organized abroad. For that purpose the gang--its cooperation
with Italian and South American organized crime was very
close--employed a real army of South American pickpockets. The
members of the "Serbian syndicate" handled the exchange and sale
of the stolen means of payment in Austria. A bank robbery in
Milan is also attributed to the gang.
With the aid and cooperation of colleagues abroad, the
Austrian detectives came across the trail of thefts and diverse
other criminal activities by the gang throughout Europe.
International warrants have been issued for two other members of
the organization's leadership, 36-year-old Ratko Bjelobaba and
28-year-old Goran Sojic.
The monetary funds accumulated by the "Yugomafia" at its
Vienna headquarters did not improve the lifestyle of its members
in only nonessential ways. A large part of the criminally
acquired monetary loot found its way to Belgrade--the funds were
also intended to finance the war in the Balkans.
In connection with this, one circumstance during the
questioning of the syndicate's head was eloquent: It was only
when the Austrian police officials threatened, of course as a
joke, that they would send the confiscated money to Bosnia that
Sabanagic became "cooperative" and yielded some information.
The damage caused by the syndicate's activity is estimated
at
100 million schillings.
The successful operation by the Austrian security
authorities
will probably be included in a collection of exemplary and
illustrative documentation at European Interpol.