Nis: police solve 12 aggravated thefts, one suspect arrested
The Nis Police Administration arrested a suspect tied to a series of break-ins at homes and businesses; the case has been handed to the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office.
Officers from the Nis Police Administration arrested one person. With the arrest, twelve cases of aggravated theft in the city of Nis were cleared, the Interior Ministry said on May 27.
The suspect was referred within the statutory deadline to the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Nis.
What was stolen
The suspect is charged with a series of break-ins at homes and businesses. The MUP says the stolen items included:
- electronics
- cash in dinars
- foreign currency
- various valuables
Through operational work, the Department for Suppression of Property Offences established links between the suspect and individual cases already with the prosecutor’s office.
DNA and fingerprint forensics
To confirm the evidence, the prosecutor’s office has ordered forensic examination of DNA traces and fingerprints recovered from earlier crime scenes.
The criminal offence of aggravated theft under Article 204 of the Criminal Code, when committed by forced entry, breaking in or overcoming obstacles, carries a sentence of one to eight years. In its aggravated form, when the value of stolen goods exceeds 1,500,000 dinars, the sentence rises to between two and ten years.
What happens after questioning
Under standard procedure, after the suspect is questioned a decision is taken on whether to seek detention or short-term custody. A motion for pre-trial detention is decided by the duty pre-trial judge at the Nis Higher Court.
According to sources close to the investigation, the suspect has so far denied some of the offences. However, the sources say there is material evidence linking him to all the cases. The final classification depends on examinations in progress.
Calls from MUP
The MUP says police continue intensive work to solve property crimes. The public is asked to report suspicious activity and missing property by calling 192.
The Committee for the Suppression of Property Offences notes that preventive measures, such as alarm systems and video surveillance, reduce the likelihood of aggravated theft.
The next procedural step is the preparation of the criminal police report, including the forensic findings. The prosecutor’s office will then decide whether grounds exist under Article 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code for a detention motion.
The Nis Police Administration announced continued operational activity to suppress property crime.
Will the scope of the criminal complaint expand to further cases in the coming days? Follow updates from the prosecutor’s office on our portal.
