SARAJEVO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- After several months of investigation, members of Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH's) Federal Police Administration (FUP) arrested nine persons on Tuesday and seized 1.3 tons of tobacco.

The searches were conducted at 10 locations in cities of Grude, Mostar and Siroki Brijeg, all located some 150 km southwest of the capital Sarajevo, Federal Police Administration press statement said on Tuesday.

Illegal activities of producing, purchasing and placing the tobacco and tobacco products without excise stamps on the market were carried out from mid-December 2018 to May 2019 in order to obtain unlawful material gain.

In October, 2018, members of BiH's State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested four people and confiscated one tonne of tobacco at five locations.