Operation Code-Named “Znak R” on Suppression of Trademarks Forgery

On 11 April 2014, in a coordinated operation code-named “Znak R”, members of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and members of the Indirect Taxation Authority, with the assistance from members of the Tuzla Canton Ministry of Interior and Brčko District Police, searched buildings at several locations in Brčko District and Gradačac Municipality. These activities were carried out upon orders by the Court BH and Prosecutor’s Office BH, with the aim of finding items that could be used as evidence in further proceedings.

The searches were carried out due to grounds for suspicion of the perpetration of the criminal offence set out in Article 208 of the Criminal Code BH “Forgery of Trademarks, Measures and Weights”. Points of sale (stands) of a number of legal persons at the “Nova pijaca” market in Gradačac, owned by Chinese nationals, were searched. Vehicles, residential buildings and ancillary premises, used as additional warehouses and workshops for trademark forgery, were also searched.

Around 24.000 pairs of items (sports footwear) with forged trademarks of Nike, Adidas and Converse in the market value of BAM 850.000 were found and seized during the searches.