Policeman arrested on suspicion of checking vehicle registrations for Marko Benzon's drug gang
A policeman has been arrested in Split on suspicion of checking vehicle registrations in the Ministry of Interior's system and reporting the information to a criminal gang allegedly led by former kickboxing champion Marko Benzon.
Policeman arrested on suspicion of checking vehicle registrations for Marko Benzon's drug gang
Arrests and urgent investigative measures have been carried out in Split by order of the Office of the State Prosecutor for Organised Crime and Corruption (USKOK), executed by the Police National Office for Combating Corruption and Organised Crime (PNUSKOK). The measures were directed against two individuals for whom there is reasonable suspicion that they committed corruption offences.
According to unconfirmed information, among those arrested is a police officer who several years ago worked in the Split office of PNUSKOK. According to available information, he checked vehicle registration numbers in the official system of the Ministry of Interior and reported data about them to a criminal drug gang.
He allegedly cooperated with members of Marko Benzon's clan, who has already been identified as one of the narco-bosses in Dalmatia. Information about vehicles was needed by his associates to ensure they were not being secretly followed by police. It is now suspected that the arrested Split policeman helped them in exactly this way.
Investigators traced him through analysis of data from SKY ECC communications. He is suspected of cooperating with Benzon's group during 2021.
The Ministry of Interior confirmed that the arrested police officer has been removed from service. They noted that after the completion of the criminal investigation, the suspects will be handed over to a detention monitor, whilst USKOK will file a criminal complaint.
As a reminder, USKOK filed an indictment in April of this year before the County Court in Split against 24 Croatian citizens and one Slovenian citizen for criminal association and unauthorised production and trafficking in drugs. According to the indictment, former kickboxing world champion Marko Benzon and Hrvoje Kelić, known as Medo, organised a criminal group that from 2020 to 2021 purchased, transported and resold large quantities of heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis and MDMA on the territory of Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The group purchased and resold at least seven kilogrammes and 550 grammes of cocaine, 26 kilogrammes and 400 grammes of heroin, 10 kilogrammes and 500 grammes of amphetamine, 409 kilogrammes of cannabis, 83 kilogrammes of so-called "skunk", seven kilogrammes of hashish and 6,500 tablets of MDMA. In this way, the accused obtained undue financial gain of at least €1,773,400.00.
Source: Večernji list
Source: Večernji list