Bosnian police arrest 14 people, including 3 politicians, in organized crime case

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina – Police in Bosnia have arrested 14 people, including three politicians, in an organized crime and tax evasion case in which they allegedly skimmed a regional budget of nearly 6 million euros ($7.6 million).

Bosniak-Croat agricultural minister Jerko Ivankovic-Lijanovic, his father and three brothers — one of whom is a state parliament lawmaker — are among those arrested. Bosnia is divided into two regions — one run by Serbs, the other shared by Bosniaks and Croats — that are linked by a central government.

Wednesday's arrests also included the Bosniak-Croat minister of trade and eight others.

According to the state prosecutor's office, the 14 are suspected of registering companies that imported, produced and processed meat and then fictively liquidating them without paying taxes.