UPON THE ORDER OF THE BIH PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE, OPERATION CODENAMED TRANZIT IS BEING CARRIED OUT, IN FIGHT AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME, TAX EVASION AND MULTI-MILLION FINANCIAL CRIME

Upon the order of a Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, several dozen police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and police agencies supporting the operation, in cooperation with the Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, have been conducting searches in the field and bringing in persons since early morning, all of which is directed against several physical and legal persons who are the targets of these activities.

These persons are suspected of the criminal offense of Organized Crime, as referred to in Article 250 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in conjunction with the criminal offense of Tax Evasion or Fraud, as referred to in Article 210 as read with Article 31 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They are suspected of importing, through legal persons, goods originating from the People’s Republic of China, from 2011 to 2014, and of further sending the goods to persons known to them who were then selling the goods for cash in the region of the Arizona market near Brčko District and in the area of Sarajevo, while failing to register it in their business books; in order to conceal such sale, they were fictitiously presenting in their business books, through legal persons, that the goods were in stock.

These activities are being conducted in several cities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, in both respective entities and in the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they are directed against several legal and physical persons.

According to the gathered and available evidence, financial malversations that are subject to this investigation and avoidance to pay VAT have caused damage to the budget of our country and to all our citizens, in the amount of approximately 8.5 million BAM.  

In view of the ongoing activities, the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not in a position to provide more information for public and media at this point. 

Such an activity shows determination of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its partner institutions to fight organized crime and financial crime, for the purpose of establishing the rule of law in our country.