AROUND 1.1 TONS OF CUT TOBACCO WITHOUT APPROPRIATE EXCISE DOCUMENTATION SEIZED IN BANJA LUKA AREA

The action was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska Ministry of the Interior, and the value of the seized tobacco on illegal market amounts to tens of thousands of BAM.

Acting upon an order of, and in coordination with the Duty Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, police officers of the Banja Luka Police Department of the Republika Srpska Ministry of the Interior discovered and seized around 1100 kilograms of raw tobacco in the area of Banja Luka, which did not have appropriate excise and financial documentation and which was found in a cargo vehicle.

As part of this action, persons connected with the transport of the seized tobacco were deprived of their liberty.

For one kilogram of tobacco, the legally prescribed excise duties amount to approximately BAM 100, and there are grounds for suspicion that the aforementioned transport of the smuggled tobacco resulted in the evasion of excise duties and taxes in the amount of around BAM 110 000, which is the amount of the damage done to the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The seized tobacco will be deposited as part of the criminal proceedings, and a criminal report will be filed with the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the aforementioned suspects.