Operation Plug: SIPA searches 17 locations in Sarajevo, Tuzla, and Srebrenica

(Patria) - State Investigation and Protection Agency police officers today, as part of the "Plug" operational action, began searches of residential and business premises and movable property at 17 locations in the area of Sarajevo Canton, Tuzla Canton, and the municipality of Srebrenica.

The aforementioned activities are being carried out due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that criminal offenses of "Organized Crime", "Illegal Trade in Excise Goods", "Illegal Storage of Goods", "Smuggling", and "Abuse of Official Position" prescribed by the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been committed.

So far, 12 persons have been deprived of liberty who are suspected of having acted in concert since March 2023 to gain unlawful property benefits through the illegal trade of excise goods by purchasing hookah tobacco in the Republic of Serbia, after which they smuggled it into Bosnia and Herzegovina, illegally stored it at several locations, and carried out further sales to known buyers, thereby avoiding the calculation and payment of tax liabilities prescribed by the tax legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to gain unlawful material benefits, thus causing damage to the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the amount of at least 750,000.00 convertible marks.

During the searches so far, about 1000 kilograms of hookah tobacco, a larger amount of money, and other items that can serve as evidence that the aforementioned criminal offenses have been committed have been discovered and temporarily confiscated.

The searches are being carried out under the orders of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with police officers of the Federal Police Administration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, Sarajevo Canton, and Tuzla Canton, as well as the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The public will be informed of the final outcome of the "Plug" operational action later.