Pursuant to an Order of the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, a large and joint police action was conducted which involved searches and deprivation of liberty of a larger number of persons suspected of organized crime, in relation to the smuggling of cigarettes in multi-million amounts, committed in the course of 2011 and 2012.
The activities were led by the Border Police of BiH, whereas police officers from the Ministries of the Interior of Republika Srpska and Herzegovina-Neretva Canton participated in field activities.
As a part of this action, twenty- five (25) persons are being investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, and more than twenty (20) locations were searched in cities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The investigated persons are suspected of international smuggling of large quantities of cigarettes from the Republic of Serbia, Republic of Montenegro and Kosovo to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then further towards the Republic of Croatia. This smuggling of goods is in multi-million amount, wherewith the perpetrators acquired large property gain.
According to the results of investigation, several organized criminal groups were involved, each having clearly divided responsibilities and activities in carrying out these criminal offenses, and together they formed a network of smugglers and cigarette resellers.
The persons deprived of liberty will be handed over to the Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption within the BiH Prosecutor’s Office who is in charge of this case, within the statutory time, and the Prosecutor will question them and decide whether to file custody motions.
This is a very extensive investigation of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and law enforcement agencies, which involved significant cooperation with judicial and law enforcement agencies of neighboring countries.
The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and the law enforcement agencies will continue their activities aimed at combating all forms of serious crime in BiH.