Smuggling of 5.7 million cigarettes: police arrest 11 people from Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria
The Koprivnica-Križevci police have dismantled a criminal group that smuggled cigarettes and tobacco into Croatia from November 2025 to June 2026. Nine suspects have been detained, and one remains at large.
Police dismantle smuggling network: 7.7 tonnes of tobacco and 1.6 million cigarettes seized
The Koprivnica-Križevci police have arrested eleven people suspected of organised smuggling of nearly six million cigarettes and more than 11,000 kilogrammes of tobacco into the Republic of Croatia, 24sata reported. The investigation lasted from November 2025 to 1 June 2026.
Among the suspects are seven Croatian citizens, two Serbian citizens, one Bulgarian citizen and one person with dual citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The investigation was carried out by police officers of the Koprivnica-Križevci Police Administration in coordination with the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK), the Mobile Units Sector of the Customs Administration of the Republic of Croatia and the Zagreb Police Administration.
The suspects are charged with establishing a criminal association, evading customs supervision and unauthorised trade. According to the investigation's findings, the group brought into Croatia at least 5,700,000 cigarettes. Part of the goods was seized, and through the sale of the remainder they obtained unlawful material gain of at least €447,950, which they divided among themselves.
In addition to cigarettes and tobacco, there is suspicion that the suspects unlawfully imported at least 701 bottles of various types of gas for filling refrigeration systems. 214 such bottles were seized, whilst the sale of the remaining portion brought them at least a further €146,500 in unlawful material gain.
On the basis of a warrant from the Zagreb County Court, searches were carried out in the Zagreb area and in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County area. Apartments, business premises and vehicles were searched. More than 7.7 tonnes of leaf tobacco, 1.6 tonnes of finely cut tobacco, 1,653,853 cigarettes, 9,839 tobacco pouches, €28,090 in cash and various machines for processing and packaging tobacco were found and seized.
Upon completion of the criminal investigation, the police submitted criminal charges against all suspects to USKOK. Nine of them were handed over to the custodial supervisor of the Detention Unit of the Zagreb Police Administration, whilst two Serbian citizens have been held in investigative detention. A search is underway for one suspect.
Source: 24sata