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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 13 december 2016

Bosnia preparing Officials: Big gold theft from armored truck in France

for Islamic State
fighters to return tipoff from a witness and
AIDA CERKEZ rescued the two men in
Associated Press time. The other cars were
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herze- unoccupied, the judicial
govina (AP) — Bosnian of- official said.
ficials said Monday they Police vehicles and a he-
expect citizens who joined licopter searched the sur-
the Islamic State group rounding fields and forests
will soon return home and Monday near the south-
pose a threat to the coun- eastern town of Dardilly,
try or elsewhere in Europe. the spokesman said. The
At a meeting in Banja Luka, spokesman and judicial
Bosnian and Serbian secu- official spoke on condition
rity agencies discussed ac- of anonymity to be able to
tions they will take to pre- give details about an on-
vent attacks, organized going investigation.
crime and corruption. Scientific police studied
Bosnia will mobilize non- the charred hulls of the
government organizations cars and the empty truck,
for de-radicalization proj- operated by security com-
ects and try to identify the French police officers investigate on the highway where thieves rob an armored truck loaded with pany Loomis. The compa-
motives that drive young gold, Monday Dec. 12, 2016 in Dardilly, near Lyon, central France. French police say a manhunt ny said in a statement that
people to embrace radi- is underway for four thieves who have stolen dozens of kilograms of gold from an armored truck the cargo was destined
cal Islam, officials said. before setting it ablaze on a major highway. for industrial use. The team
The situation at the Syrian (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani) driving the truck “fully re-
front lines “could result in spected procedures,” the
the return of fighters from ANGELA CHARLTON fleeing. The suspects, op- men in the back of the head of Loomis France,
Bosnia and further spread- Associated Press erating in multiple cars, truck, and set one of their Michel Tresch, was quoted
ing of their ideology,” Bos- PARIS (AP) — French police surrounded the armored own cars on fire before as saying. While France
nian Serb police head Dra- say they are hunting for four truck and forced it off the fleeing, according to the occasionally sees big jew-
gan Lukac said. men suspected of stealing A6 highway between Paris spokesman. He said the el thefts and has seen a
“They are attracting young gold dust worth an estimat- and Lyon, a national gen- flames spread to three cars couple of high-profile high-
people and turning them ed 1.5 million euros from darme service spokesman nearby and were threaten- way heists, it’s rare to see
into potential terrorists who an armored truck Monday and a judicial official said. ing to engulf the armored a large-scale gold robbery
could commit terrorist acts before setting cars ablaze They then seized the gold, truck as well, but local po- like this, gendarmes said.
in Bosnia or in Europe,” he near a major highway and locked the two delivery lice intervened thanks to a q
said.
Bosnian Security Minister Cologne to hugely increase New Year police presence
Dragan Mektic said 226
Bosnians are believed to BERLIN (AP) — Cologne ation, and the city’s then- occurred around the ca- events, 513 of them alleg-
have joined IS in Syria or is planning a hugely in- police chief was removed. thedral and nearby train ing sexual assaults or ha-
Iraq, and that 65 have creased police pres- Current police chief Juer- station. The area around rassment.
been killed and 46 have ence for New Year’s Eve gen Mathies said more the cathedral is being They opened proceedings
returned. and banning firecrackers than 1,500 officers will be fenced off as a secure against 333 people, 87 of
Of those who returned, all around its landmark cathe- on duty in Cologne this zone, inside which fireworks whom were suspected of
have been investigated dral as part of efforts to pre- New Year’s Eve, compared — ubiquitous in Germany sexual offenses.
and processed. Bosnia in- vent a repeat of last year’s with around 140 last time. on New Year’s Eve — will It has proven difficult to
troduced a law two years string of robberies and sex- Video surveillance is being be banned, secure sufficient evidence
ago that imposes strong ual assaults, authorities said stepped up. and a nearby bridge across against many of the sus-
sanctions against those Monday. On top of that, Mayor Hen- the Rhine river closed to pects. Thirty-five people
who fight abroad or recruit The crimes, blamed largely riette Reker said that the pedestrians. have been indicted, mostly
others to do so. on foreign men, height- city’s office for public order Authorities plan a light show for theft or similar offenses,
Nearly a dozen of suspects ened tensions in Germany and private firms will pro- at the cathedral. of whom 24 were con-
were jailed since then for over the influx of migrants in vide some 600 security of- Prosecutors say they re- victed so far and one ac-
either fighting for IS or for 2015. Police were criticized ficers. ceived 1,222 criminal com- quitted. Other cases are
recruiting others.q for their handling of the situ- Most of last year’s crimes plaints following last year’s pending.q