UIO: 280 kg of tobacco intended for the illegal market seized

Officials of the Indirect Taxation Authority in the Tuzla Regional Center, in two separate operations, temporarily seized 280 kg of tobacco that was illegally traded on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the Patria News Agency.

In a joint operation by the UIO's Smuggling and Offenses Prevention Team in the Tuzla Regional Center and police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Srpska, CJB Doboj, Police Station Šamac, 80 kg of finely cut tobacco was temporarily seized due to suspicion of illegal trade in excise goods.

Namely, during a regular traffic control, after stopping a passenger motor vehicle in the Šamac municipality, it was determined that the vehicle, among other things, contained 80 kg of finely cut tobacco which was not marked with excise stamps. An offense procedure will be initiated against the said person.

In a joint operation by the UIO's Smuggling and Offenses Prevention Team in the Tuzla Regional Center and police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Tuzla Canton - Gradačac Police Administration, 200 kg of finely cut tobacco was temporarily seized. A report on the existence of grounds for suspicion of a criminal offense will be filed with the competent Prosecutor's Office of BiH against the person from whom the tobacco illegally sold on the BiH market was temporarily seized.

During this year, the UIO has intensified investigative activities regarding the illegal trade of tobacco and tobacco products. This has resulted in dozens of operations across Bosnia and Herzegovina in which significant quantities of tobacco illegally sold on the BiH market have been found and seized. Thus, in 2015, UIO officials seized more than 1,300 kg of tobacco sold without excise stamps.