Uskok investigation: four Croatian citizens suspected of criminal association and drug trafficking

USKOK, based on the criminal complaint by PNUSKOK, has decided to initiate an investigation against four Croatian citizens (born in 1967, 1958, 1980, 1972) on suspicion of committing criminal offenses of organized crime and unauthorized production and trafficking of drugs within the framework of an organized criminal group.

It is suspected that the first accused, from April 26, 2023, to July 2, 2024, in Umag and other places in Croatia, connected the other accused with the aim of procuring cocaine. According to the agreement, the first accused would procure cocaine, which the second accused would take over in Slovenia, transport it to Croatia, and store it together with the first accused. The drugs would then be sold to achieve material gain.

The first accused procured at least 436.9 grams of cocaine in Slovenia for at least 13,100.00 euros. The first and second accused hid the cocaine at their addresses in Buje, and the first accused also hid it in a business premises in Umag. In these premises, they weighed the drugs, mixed them with substances to increase the mass, and packed them into smaller packets. The first accused then sold the drugs personally or through the second accused, who, according to the agreement with the first accused, sold the drugs with the help of the remaining two accused, and handed over the money obtained from the drug sales to the first accused.

In this way, the accused achieved illegal property gain of at least 31,038.30 euros by selling cocaine. Of this, the first accused earned at least 15,000.00 euros, the second accused at least 12,652.80 euros, the third accused at least 1,398.00 euros, and the fourth accused at least 4,860.00 euros.

USKOK has proposed to the investigating judge of the County Court in Rijeka to order investigative detention against all the accused.