HERZEGOVINA-NERETVA CANTON POLICE SEVER SMUGGLING CHAIN

MOSTAR, 29 Oct (Hina) - The police of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (southern Bosnia-Herzegovina), in cooperation with the Croatian police, have severed a tobacco and alcohol trafficking chain between Split, a port in Croatia, and Mostar in Bosnia- Herzegovina. Seven Stabilisation Force (SFOR) members and 16 Bosnian citizens were involved in the smuggling chain. The value of confiscated goods exceeds one million German marks. "This smuggling chain which involved high-tariff goods, organised by the owners of several Mostar discount stores and SFOR members, had been running smoothly for several years," said a statement by the canton police. The police reported they had discovered seven Ukrainian SFOR members unloading cigarettes, whiskey and other expensive alcoholic drinks from two trucks and one ground vehicle, which are owned by their brigade, and loading them into five 'Mercedes' cars, in which the goods were to be transported to the stores. The owners of the 'Mercedes' cars are from Mostar, Posusje and Ljubuski (western Herzegovina). The SFOR trucks and the ground vehicle transported cigarettes and alcohol from Split to Mostar. From the border on, on the way to Mostar, the vehicles were accompanied by four vehicles - three with Mostar registration plates and one with Koper licence plates (a port in Slovenia). According to the information gathered so far, at least two such smuggling convoys were organised monthly. The canton police informed the International Police Task Force (IPTF) about the case. An investigation into the case is still being conducted by the criminal department of Mostar police, while the Ukrainian SFOR soldiers are in custody of SFOR military police. (hina) jn rm 291842 MET oct 97