Subotic purchased cigarettes in Macedonia as well

Stanko Subotic alias Cane, one of the bosses of Serbian and Balkan tobacco mafia, had purchased smuggled cigarettes in Macedonia as well. He is on the run after Wednesday's crackdown on cigarette smuggling ring in Serbia.

Makfax news agency quotes Belgrade's daily Blic as saying that Miroslav Pesic had masterminded the smuggling operation during his stay in Skopje in the period of 1995-1996. He had an office in the Skopje-based company Makedonija Tabak.

Upon Subotic's order, Miroslav Pesic paid 8 million DM in cash to purchase cigarettes in Makedonija Tabak.

The payment was effectuated as repayment of debt to the Ub-based company MIA and Novi Sad-based company Sakses.

The cigarettes were later transported to the border, where the then head of customs office MIhalj Kertes had reportedly taken-over the operation.

Makfax news agency says "Makedonija Tabak", the largest tobacco and cigarettes trading enterprise in the late 90s, according to countless news reports by Macedonian and regional media, was believed to have been the mastermind of cigarettes smuggling through and across Macedonia and in the former Yugoslavia.

The smuggling included an entire network of aides employed in public institutions. The main coordinator of the network was the then deputy general manager Danco Suturkov.

According to news report published in Macedonian media, Pesic is successor of Vanja Bokan, killed in Athens in 2000. Subotic is believed to have been involved in the murder.

Stanko Subotic - Cane entered the tobacco business through Vanja Bokan i.e. through Jovica Stanisic, secret police chief during Slobodan Milosevic regime. Subotic has business partners in Macedonia, according to Macedonia and Croatian newspapers.

Among them is Kosta Jankovski, one of the wealthiest Macedonians, who runs several firms dealing with sell of cigarettes and alcohol.

Jankovski as well as Subotic have acquired Croatian citizenship since 1999. They were advised by the retired Croatian general Ljubo Chesic - Roys to apply for Croatian passports.