Stanko Subotic was sentenced Friday by the special court in Belgrade to six years in prison, while members of his group got nine months to four and a half years.

Within 15 days of the verdict becoming final, Subotic is to pay RSD 75,821,404 into the state budget with interest dating back to November 1, 1996. Two defendants - former head of the State Security office in Novi Sad Milovan Popivoda and Ivana Krcmaricic - were acquitted.

Subotic, who is on the run, was sentenced as the organizer of a criminal group which smuggled cigarettes in 1995 and 1996, depriving the state budget of EUR 28 million and USD 6 million. The Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office, the defendants and their counsels have the right to appeal to the Belgrade Appellate Court within 30 days of receiving the written ruling.

Former director of the Federal Customs Administration Mihalj Kertes was sentenced to four years in prison, founder of the Scorpions paramilitary unit Milan Milanovic to three years and former chief of police in Novi Sad Miodrag Zavisic to one year.

Subotic's nephew Nikola Milosevic and Jovica Randjelovic were sentenced to four and a half and three and a half years respectively. Both are on the run.

Presenting the verdict, judge Milena Rasic said Subotic and his group were not found guilty of a criminal enterprise, because the statute of limitations expired on that crime, but they were sentenced for abuse of office which is punishable by two to 12 years in prison.

She explained the defendants are guilty of smuggling cigarettes from Macedonia to Serbia and selling them to legal and physical persons, with the help of Federal Customs Administration workers, starting in 1995 and up to October 31, 1996. An international warrant was issued in 2006 for the arrest of Subotic and the other fugitives.