Arrests in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Smuggling 100 tons of tobacco caused 10 million KM damage to the state budget

At the order of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a comprehensive operation is being conducted against the unauthorized trade of excise products, tobacco.

According to collected evidence, the suspects caused damage to the state and budget of around 10 million KM and obtained multi-million illegal property gains. Among the suspects are also responsible persons of companies - tobacco purchasing stations, announced the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, reports the Patria news agency.

At the order of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, dozens of police officers and authorized persons of SIPA, in cooperation with officers of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, are conducting a comprehensive operation codenamed "List 2". The operation is aimed at more than 20 suspects, who are charged with illegally placing tobacco on the black market in BiH in the amount of about 100 tons (100,000 kilograms of tobacco).

Given the price of tobacco and excise duties which amount to about 85 KM per kilogram of tobacco, the aforementioned illegal activities caused damage to the budget, the state, and the citizens of our country in the amount of about 10 million KM, while the perpetrators obtained illegal property gains in multi-million amounts.

Among the suspects are also responsible persons of tobacco purchasing stations, who are charged with enabling tobacco from legal production flows to end up on the illegal tobacco market.

During the operation, arrests and searches are being carried out at numerous locations across BiH, mostly in the areas of Posavina and Herzegovina, in both entities and the Brčko District.

With this operation, law enforcement agencies are delivering a strong blow to the black market of tobacco and tobacco products, where excise duties and budget funds in millions of amounts, which belong to all citizens of our country, are being evaded. Combating the black market is one of the essential conditions in the process of European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.