The Special Court in Belgrade sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison 21 members of the group known as "customs mafia" which earned several million euros from the smuggling of goods, the court announced on Wednesday.

The Court also imposed a ban on professional activity to former officials of the Customs Administration for a period of five to 10 years.

First defendant Velibor Lukic, who was the coordinator for anti-smuggling operations in the Customs Administration for the area south of Belgrade, was sentenced to nine years in prison for criminal association and bribery.

Employee of the Customs Administration intelligence department Radomir Laban was sentenced to seven years in prison and customs officer Dejan Ratkovic to six and a half years for accepting bribes.

Other members of the group were sentenced according to the criminal offense - abuse of office or accepting a bribe - to prison terms of nine months, one year, two, three and a half years in prison.

One defendant was sentenced in absentia, another was released from custody after the verdict, and the third was granted release on bail of EUR 40,000.

Members of the group were arrested in 2006 and the time they spent in custody will be included in the sentence.