SIPA

On 26 August 2013, members of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), acting upon orders by the Court and Prosecutor’s Office BH, in the framework of the operation code-named “Master”, carried out searches at a number of locations in Tuzla, Srebrenik and Brčko with the aim of detecting items that might be used as evidence in the criminal procedure against several suspects. These activities were carried out with the assistance from members of the Indirect Taxation Authority BH, Republic of Srpska Ministry of Interior, Tuzla Canton Ministry of Interior and Brčko District Police.

In the framework of these activities, eight individuals were arrested on grounds for suspicion of having committed the criminal offence set out in the Article 250, Paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code BH “Organised Crime”, in conjunction with the criminal offence set out in the Article 210, Paragraph (4) of the CC BH “Tax Evasion or Fraud”, criminal offence set out in the Article 216, Paragraph (3) of the CC BH “Customs Fraud” and the criminal offence set out in the Article 209, Paragraph (2) of the CC BH “Money Laundering”. Necessary activities are under way with the aim of finding one more individual.

This case refers to organised crime in the process of importing substantial quantities of goods from abroad to Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which duties were evaded and not paid, and it was falsely registered that the value of the imported goods was much lower, which made multimillion damages to the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Searches were carried out at 17 locations, whereby a large quantity of business and other documents, as well as other items that might be used as evidence in further proceedings (mobile telephones, SIM cards, computer equipment, etc.), were found and seized.

The arrested individuals were brought to the official premises of the State Investigation and Protection Agency, Tuzla Regional Office, where they are being criminally processed. Thereupon, they will be handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office BH fur further processing. Activities within this case will be continued and the public will be duly informed.

A video of today’s apprehension: