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An organized crime group suspected of evading at least 3.5 million KM. |
The members of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested 41-year-old S.H. in the Sarajevo area this morning on suspicions that he damaged the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) for several millions of KM. In a press release SIPA said that this arrest was the continuation of a police operation called Boss, which began in mid-September.
The press release reads that S.H. has had a temporary residence in Turkey and that he’s suspected of having participating in so called shopping tours between 2004 and 2012 together with several other persons, as well as in the import of textile and other goods and their resale. Together with other persons, S.H. underreported the prices of goods by entering incorrect data into invoices and other paperwork.
Turkish exporters submitted this paperwork and consequently Bosnian importers paid lower customs and V.A.T. Hence, the state coffers were damaged for several million KM. After SIPA has finished its interrogation, it’ll turn S.H. over to the Prosecutor’s Office. SIPA will search the apartment and other premises and movable things used by the accused.
The Boss police operation has been conducted for the past month across BiH with the aim of curbing financial crimes including tax evasion, customs fraud and money laundering. During the operation a number of locations were raided in Sarajevo, Brčko, Gradačac, Banja Luka, Trnovo and Doboj Jug. Several dozen office premises including Eco San, Janus, Sa Tours and Bosna Expres were searched. A large amount of cash was confiscated during this operation along with the financial and business documentation, cell phones, fire arms and other equipment used for the execution of the above-mentioned and other crimes.
Among those arrested is H.B., a 62-year woman from Doboj with a temporary residence in Hungary. SIPA suspects that she was a director of a company incorporated in Hungary and she was involved in the import of textile and other goods from Hungary and Italy as a member of the criminal group. Through her firms incorporated in Hungary she underreported the prices and the quantity of imported goods which led to smaller customs levies thus damaging the state coffers for millions of KM:
Nine persons have been arrested in the Boss operation.
