More than 10 people arrested, 10 tons of tobacco seized

In an operation codenamed List 1, launched early this morning by members of the Indirect Taxation Authority, SIPA, with the assistance of cantonal Interior Ministries aimed at suppressing illegal tobacco trade in BiH, more than ten individuals were brought in for questioning in Tuzla, and searches were conducted at six locations, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

Activities are being carried out in Tuzla, Bijeljina, Srebrenik, Brčko, the Arizona market, and Sarajevo, with a prosecutor from the Prosecutor's Office of BiH present in Tuzla.

As part of the operation, more than 10 tons of tobacco, intended for illegal sale on the BiH market, were seized.

The Prosecutor's Office of BiH earlier stated that the suspected organized group, between March and October this year, smuggled and distributed for further sale several tons of cut tobacco, on which no taxes or excise duties were paid, and which was sold at multiple locations across BiH, thereby damaging the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina by approximately 1.2 million KM.