Croatian citizen from Zagreb arrested in Šentilj for robbery in Austria
Slovenian and Austrian police jointly arrested a robbery suspect in Šentilj on Monday afternoon. The man, reportedly a Croatian citizen from Zagreb, fled to Slovenia after committing the offence in Austrian Styria.
Joint police operation in Šentilj: robbery suspect arrested after fleeing Austria
Slovenian and Austrian police conducted a joint operation in the Šentilj area on Monday afternoon and arrested a robbery suspect for an offence committed in Austrian Styria, according to Delo. According to unofficial information, the man is a Croatian citizen with a permanent address in Zagreb.
Vehicle blockade at the cemetery
From 1 p.m. onwards, local residents and passers-by at the cemetery in Šentilj observed an unusual scene: Slovenian police officers blocked a civilian car with several service vehicles, whilst several Austrian police vehicles were positioned nearby. The suspect left the blocked vehicle and ran towards a nearby rectory. Austrian police officers immediately pursued him; they had been on his trail since the location of the criminal offence.
The officers were equipped with long-barrelled weapons. A witness told Delo: "He must be dangerous because all the police officers were armed, even with automatic rifles."
Robbery near Vogau
The operation was triggered by an investigation into theft and robbery of property in Austrian Styria, in the vicinity of the town of Vogau. The Styrian State Police Directorate (LPD Styria) confirmed that in a "cross-border search operation involving Austrian and Slovenian police, they had searched for robbery suspects in Austria who allegedly fled towards Slovenia."
The Maribor Police Directorate, for its part, stated that they had "conducted activities in the Šentilj area in cooperation with Austrian security authorities in connection with suspected commission of a criminal offence in the field of property crime on the territory of Austria."
Investigation not yet concluded
Because the property crime investigation is still ongoing, police officers did not disclose additional details. They emphasised that there was no danger to the public—which indirectly confirms that the suspect was arrested. Cooperation between the two countries took place within the framework of the existing cross-border police agreement.
According to standard practice, the suspect will be tried by Austrian courts, as the criminal offence occurred on Austrian territory.
Many local residents, who observed the events despite heavy rain, initially believed it was a police exercise. This time, however, the operation was entirely real.
Source: Delo