A JOINT ACTION WITH THE CODE NAME OF ‘JOKER’ INITIATED UPON THE ORDER OF THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE OF BIH. SEARCHES AND DEPRIVATIONS OF LIBERTY ARE ONGOING AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS

Pursuant to the Order of a Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, several dozen officers of police, SIPA and the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina are conducting activities pertaining to searches and deprivations of liberty of several persons suspected of organized crime and customs and tax evasions in the amount of several hundred thousand BAM, which is the amount of the damage to the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

Among other locations, these activities are being conducted in the area of Sarajevo, Istočno Sarajevo /East Sarajevo/ and Čelinac. These activities are in relation to the investigation aimed at detecting criminal offenses related to customs and tax evasions during the import of large quantities of goods and container shipments of mostly textile goods originating from the People’s Republic of China.  

The searches are being conducted at several locations and several persons have been deprived of liberty.

Inter alia, the suspects in this case are also under investigation for the abuse of their office and for giving or accepting bribe, gifts or other forms of benefits. The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH resumes its activities aimed at detecting all persons involved in illegal activities; some of the persons aimed are officers of individual institutions.

We regret to say that, presently, we cannot provide the public with additional information, due to the need to protect the ongoing investigation.