Under an order issued by a prosecutor of the Special Department for Organised Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption, an operation was carried out in the area of Tuzla, Lukavac and Vitez, which was directed against several suspects suspected that they, as an organised crime group, illegally procured, prepared and sold large quantities of tobacco.

The tobacco was illegally distributed on the black market in BiH causing a great damage to the BiH budget because of the evasion of taxes and excise duties, while the suspects have acquired great financial gain through the commission of criminal offences.

Around 1.4 tons of tobacco, about 100 kilos of cut tobacco prepared for sale and distribution, as well as machines and tools used for tobacco production, were found and seized.

The investigation showed that the suspects would obtain large quantities of tobacco in a fraudulent and unlawful way and that they would then further distribute it on the black market.

Taxes and excises for one kilo of tobacco in legal sale amount to about KM (BAM) 100 and, therefore, the smuggled tobacco caused damage to the State of BiH and its budget in excess of KM 100,000, which has ended up as the unlawfully acquired property gain of the persons who committed these criminal offences.

Following the interrogation of the suspects, the case prosecutor will decide on further activities in the case.