Ten people have been arrested in Croatia on suspicion of illegally disposing of more than 35,000 tons of hazardous waste, both from local sources and other European Union countries. This was reported by the Croatian Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (USKOK).
According to USKOK, the suspects and four companies face charges of committing serious environmental crimes, document forgery, tax evasion, and money laundering, all within the framework of a criminal network. The arrests took place in Zagreb and other cities across the country on February 13.
Ivica Kropek, a representative of the Croatian police, stated that the investigation revealed that the detainees illegally disposed of more than 35,000 tons of waste at several landfills in Croatia between 2022 and 2024.
The investigation further found that the suspects imported plastic waste from other EU countries and exported medical waste from Croatia, later burying it in the ground or simply discarding it.
Additionally, Europol reported that, as part of this case, 13 more people were arrested across Europe in connection with environmental crimes.
