News

April 3, 2009

Police officers filed criminal complaints against eight persons accused of the illegal production of, and trafficking in weapons and explosives - information from the press conference

At today's press conference, representatives of the General Police Directorate and Celje Police Directorate provided detailed information on the successfully concluded extensive criminal investigation in the area of the illegal production of and trafficking of weapons and explosives. Due the suspicion of eight criminal offences of illegal production and trafficking in weapons and explosives, criminal police officers filed criminal complaints against eight persons in accordance with Article 307 I and II of the Penal Code (PC-1).

In the final action, criminal police officers executed eight house searches on the basis of court orders, six of which were in the area of the Celje Police Directorate and two in the area of the Kranj and Maribor Police Directorates. Seven suspects were detained; five were brought before the investigating judge of the Celje District Court. Police representatives said at the press conference that six suspects are Slovenian citizens, while two are Croatian citizens, aged from 33 to 56 years.

Criminal police officers of Celje Police Directorate began with the investigation of criminal offences last September. During house searches, police officers seized large numbers of various types of weapons and explosives.

The military explosive Pentrit, which was seized, presents a major risk for people and property.

Five suspects, among them a Croatian citizen, were brought before the investigating judge of the Celje District Court, who ordered court detention for the suspects.

Within the context of the operation, described at today's press conference, Slovenian and Croatian judicial and security authorities managed to cut off an established trafficking network, which had smuggled large numbers of weapons and explosives from Croatia into countries of the EU for the use of organized criminal networks in countries of the EU.

In the area of trafficking in weapons, Slovenia is primarily characterized by its geostrategic position. It is situated on the "Balkan route", through which foreign and domestic criminal networks smuggle various goods, such as weapons, explosives, illegal drugs, persons, highly taxable goods and others; primarily from countries of the Middle East and Western Balkans into countries of the European Union.