Announcement on the completed research conducted in cooperation with USKOK
Police officers from the National Police Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (PNUSKOK) and the Split-Dalmatia Police Administration, in coordination with the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime, carried out a criminal investigation that lasted several months.
The aforementioned research was conducted within the framework of the Operational Working Group (OTF) "ZeBRa", with the support of EUROPOL in the field and operational cooperation with the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, the Czech Republic and other OTF member countries.
A criminal investigation was conducted on nine persons, eight of whom are Croatian citizens (1994, 1978, 1997, 1985, 2002, 1975, 1988, 1980) and one Pakistani citizen (1998). It was established that the first suspect, a Croatian citizen, committed the criminal offence of criminal association under Article 328, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, and the other suspects committed the criminal offence of illegal entry, movement and residence in the Republic of Croatia, another member state of the European Union or a signatory to the Schengen Agreement as part of a criminal association.
Organized illegal transportation of migrants over a period of nine months
The criminal investigation has established the existence of suspicion that, in the period from January 5 to September 17, 2025, in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, with the aim of acquiring undue material benefit, the first suspect organized the unauthorized crossing of a large number of foreign citizens from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia outside marked border crossings, secretly and in an unauthorized manner for a monetary reward. and arranged their temporary accommodation and further transport through Croatia to agreed destinations in other European Union countries for a monetary reward of at least EUR 100,00 to EUR 1.000,00 per foreign citizen.
In order to realize the planned I., the suspect gathered and connected II., III, IV., V., VI., VII., VIII. Croatian citizens and IX. the suspected citizen of Pakistan in such a way that the first suspect gave tasks and precise instructions related to the transport of unknown foreign citizens through the territory of Croatia, and which persons illegally crossed the state border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, he agreed to bring foreign citizens to the border from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia, with a guide - IX. a suspected citizen of Pakistan, as well as unknown persons from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who crossed the border illegally.
They made an improper material gain of at least 297.180 euros.
The I. suspect then provided information about the illegal crossing of persons to the II., III., IV., V., VI., VII., VIII. suspected Croatian citizens, whom he would instruct to arrive, on his orders and instructions, with personal cars (owned by them and previously rented personal cars from car rental companies) to the place where the foreign citizens illegally crossed the state border, with the help of a guide - the IX. suspected citizen of Pakistan. Following the route dictated by the I. suspect, they transported the foreign citizens through Croatia to a temporary destination. Upon completion of the transportation of the illegal migrants, the I. suspect paid amounts ranging from at least EUR 100,00 to EUR 1.000,00 per person, depending on the agreed route for the transportation of the illegal migrants.
In the described manner, they made an improper material gain of at least 297.180,00 euros, which they divided among themselves according to their roles in each individual transfer.
Four people were arrested yesterday, a 31-year-old man, a 47-year-old woman, a 50-year-old woman and a 45-year-old woman, all Croatian citizens, and searches were conducted. Four people have previously been in pre-trial detention, and one person is not in the territory of the Republic of Croatia.
Criminal charges will be filed against all of them, and four people were handed over to the detention supervisor with criminal charges.
Photo: illustration (PU SD)
