SIPA searches six locations in Banja Luka

(Patria) - Police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) today carried out an operational action "King" in the area of Banja Luka, which included searches of residential and business premises and movable property at six locations.

The operational action "King" was carried out due to grounds for suspicion that criminal offenses of "Unauthorized trafficking of excise goods", "Unauthorized storage of goods", "Unauthorized trade" in connection with the criminal offense of "Organized crime" prescribed by the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been committed.

Five persons were deprived of liberty, who were taken to SIPA premises for criminal processing and questioning as suspects.

During the searches, 83,566 packs of cigarettes with a market value of approximately BAM 417,830.00, 331 kilograms of cut tobacco with a market value of approximately BAM 6,634.00, and 1,823 packs of hand-rolled cigarettes with a market value of approximately BAM 2,734.00, which were not marked with excise stamps of the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a machine for making hand-rolled cigarettes, documentation, and other items that may serve as evidence that the aforementioned criminal offenses have been committed, were discovered and temporarily confiscated.

The aforementioned activities were carried out by order of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in cooperation with the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska.