Operation 'Šljivice': SIPA detains 13 people

(Patria) - Police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), with the assistance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tuzla Canton, and the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, carried out an operational action codenamed "Šljivice" on July 9, 2024, and conducted searches of persons, facilities, and movable property at 18 locations in the areas of Tuzla, Živinice, Lukavac, Gračanica, Šamac, Bijeljina, and Zvornik, based on orders from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

One suspect is on the run, while 13 suspects were deprived of their liberty during the operational action. They were questioned as suspects at the premises of the State Investigation and Protection Agency, under the authorization of the prosecutor, after which they were processed in accordance with the instructions of the acting prosecutor.

The persons deprived of their liberty are suspected of committing the criminal offense of "Organized Crime," in connection with the criminal offenses of "Illegal Trafficking of Excise Products," "Illegal Storage of Goods," "Illegal Trade," and "Money Laundering," as stipulated by the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the searches, the following items were found and temporarily confiscated, which may serve as evidence in criminal proceedings and can be linked to the commission of criminal offenses for which the suspects are suspected, as well as in connection with the commission of other criminal offenses: 36,500 packs of cigarettes, cash – approx. 9,000 BAM, three passenger motor vehicles, about 100 kg of leaf tobacco, about 230 kg of cut tobacco, empty cigarette filter tubes – approx. 59,000 pieces, two tobacco cutting machines, two cigarette filling machines, five manual cigarette filling machines, three digital scales, 15 mobile phones, 14 SIM cards, and one video surveillance recorder.

The value of the temporarily confiscated goods and items is approximately 450,000 BAM.