Large SIPA operation due to illegal tobacco

(Patria) - Police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) this morning (7/7/2020), pursuant to orders from the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, launched an operation codenamed "Delta".

Searches of residential and business premises, and movable property are underway at a total of 29 locations in the areas of Brčko, Obudovac, Bijeljina, Tuzla, Srebrenik, Živinica, Sarajevo, Zenica, Travnik, Novi Travnik, Vitez, Posušje, Grude, Ljubuški, and Mostar.

The mentioned activities are being carried out due to the existence of grounds for suspicion of committing the criminal offense of organized crime in connection with the criminal offenses of illegal trade in excise goods and money laundering, as prescribed by the Criminal Code of BiH.

The suspects are accused of having, in cooperation with other persons, with the aim of acquiring illegal property benefits, formed an organized crime group for the illegal marketing of smoking tobacco and cigarettes, without paying excise duty on smoking tobacco and cigarettes and without marking the mentioned products with excise stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby damaging the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina by approximately 36,000,000 KM on the basis of unpaid excise duty on smoking tobacco and cigarettes.

The mentioned activities are being carried out in cooperation with officials of the Indirect Taxation Authority and several police agencies in BiH. More information about the results of the "Delta" operation will be known after the execution of the orders of the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH.