Report: Tobacco Mafia arrest at airport

A suspects in one of the so-called Tobacco Mafia cases was arrested today at Belgrade's airport, B92 has learned. The suspect was close to the Milosevic-era customs chief Mihalj Kertes, who is himself undergoing trial, and was investigated in a MUP operation codenamed Net, conducted in 2004. Report: Tobacco Mafia arrest at airport The identity of the man detained has not been revealed. B92's Insider investigative program first revealed the details of the operation in 2006. MUP has kept the report on the investigation secret for two years, although there was evidence to indict a total of eight cigarette smuggling groups. The probe showed that several dozen former customs, police, and state security agency employees, but also politicians, and some now successful businessmen, from 1996 until 2003 conspired to smuggle cigarettes, robbing the state budget of several million Deutsche marks. After Insider dedicated to this issue aired in 2006, the Special Organized Crime Prosecution issued an indictment against a criminal group it said was led by Stanko Subotic, a.k.a. Cane, while more than 10 people have since been arrested in connection to the case. The Prosecution says that none of the possible suspects has been left out, and that the case has not been closed. However, the 2004 MUP report also names Milorad Vucelic, Jovica Stanisic, Mirjana Markovic, Marko Milosevic, Dusimir Zabunovic, Miroslav Miskovica Mirko Vucurevic and Petar Komljenovic for their alleged involvement in the criminal activity.

Report: Tobacco Mafia arrest at airport

The identity of the man detained has not been revealed.

B92's Insider investigative program first revealed the details of the operation in 2006.

MUP has kept the report on the investigation secret for two years, although there was evidence to indict a total of eight cigarette smuggling groups.

The probe showed that several dozen former customs, police, and state security agency employees, but also politicians, and some now successful businessmen, from 1996 until 2003 conspired to smuggle cigarettes, robbing the state budget of several million Deutsche marks.

After Insider dedicated to this issue aired in 2006, the Special Organized Crime Prosecution issued an indictment against a criminal group it said was led by Stanko Subotić, a.k.a. Cane, while more than 10 people have since been arrested in connection to the case.

The Prosecution says that none of the possible suspects has been left out, and that the case has not been closed.

However, the 2004 MUP report also names Milorad Vučelić, Jovica Stanišić, Mirjana Marković, Marko Milošević, Dušimir Zabunović, Miroslav Miškovića Mirko Vučurević and Petar Komljenović for their alleged involvement in the criminal activity.