BMJ Industries owner, Ahmed Bakairat, is seeking new management to head the New Tobacco Plant Podgorica (NDKP) following the state prosecutor’s investigation into the cigarette smuggling case. Replying to Pobjeda newspaper’s questions, BMJ said stricter procedures on complying with regulations were to be enforced at the company in order to avoid repetition of the current situation with NDKP’s Executive Committee president, Isat Boljevic.
“Every employee violating any law will be punished to the full extent according the law including for tarnishing the company’s reputation,” BMJ representative Malik Warrayat said in his e-mail sent to Pobjeda on behalf of the company.
He added that the company had an international reputation and operated respecting the professional and ethical standards.
“BMJ is recognised in the world as a company with the highest ethical standards, observing all state regulations and laws. We operate in seven countries. In more than 30 countries we are engaged in variety of businesses from manufacturing cigarettes to investing in hospitals,” the company owning NDKP said.
Special State Prosecutor’s Office issued a warrant against Boljevic on suspicion that he was involved in the smuggling of cigarettes worth nearly €4m. This has been the largest illegally manufactured cigarette seizure by Montenegrin investigators so far.
Although the warrant has been issued only against Boljevic, it is believed that other persons were also involved in the smuggling.
Cigarettes of Virginia and Mak brands were seized a week ago. The cigarettes were manufactured at NDKP, owned since February of last year by BMJ Industries FZ LLC from the United Arab Emirates.
Three days later, a special police team collected the documents and samples of tobacco and cigarettes from NDKP factory and sent them to the forensic centre for analysis.
