SFOR FINDS NO WEAPONS IN SARAJEVO TOBACCO FACTORY

SARAJEVO, July 7 (Hina) - The NATO-led peace-keepers on Sunday morning raided the tobacco factory in the Bosnian capital searching for illegal arms, but found nothing, the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) said in a statement. #L# The search of the plant and its surroundings lasted the entire morning. The international peace-keepers carried out the operation after they had received information about the possible illegal storage of weapons and ammunition in the plant. Representatives of the factory's management and workers were present during the raid, and according to the SFOR's statement, they fully co-operated with the international troops. The factory's management declined to comment on the operation. The Sarajevo Tobacco Factory is one of the most profitable companies in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Its employees and the federal authorities have been arguing over its control for years. The employees claim that they are the owners of the majority stock in the company, while the authorities contest the privatisation which was carried out in the wake of the war. During the war, the factory was believed to be an important source of financing of the (Muslim) Party of Democratic Action (SDA). (hina) ms