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Today, on 8 June 2009, the representatives of the General Police Directorate and the Krško Police Directorate presented, at the press conference at Krško, the results of investigation of criminal offences of illegal manufacture and trafficking in illicit drugs, which was, in these days, concluded by the uncovering  of two organised criminal associations and the arrest of 32 suspects.

Koros Bozicnik Perc

From left to right:  Slavko Koroš, Head of the Organised Crime Section at the GPD Criminal Police Directorate, France Božičnik, Head of the Criminal Police Section, and Robert Perc, press officer of Krško Police Directorate


France Božičnik, Head of the Criminal Police Section at the Krško PD described the development of two criminal police operations. In the first operation, the police filed criminal complaints against six suspects for 27 crimes of illegal manufacture of and trafficking in illegal drugs, and in the second one, they filed criminal complaints against 26 suspects from various parts of  Slovenia for 23 criminal acts of this kind.

Four suspects remained in custody after the police operation of 2 June

On 2 June, the police concluded, with the arrest of six persons, the several-month-long investigation of a criminal association under suspicion of committing criminal offences of illegal manufacture of and trafficking in illicit drugs, illicit substances in sports and precursor substances for manufacturing illicit drugs (Article 186, para. 1, of the Penal Code of the Republic of Slovenia.

In the period from 18 March to 2 June 2009, criminal investigators uncovered 27 criminal offences of illegal manufacture of and trafficking in illicit drugs, and several tens of cases of sale of these illicit substances. The suspects were involved in sale and resale of heroin, in one case they also sold the pharmaceutical product Substitol which is regarded as an illicit drug.  They operated in the area of Ljubljana and Posavje.

Upon the arrest of suspects on 2 June, criminal investigators and police officers conducted house searches and found smaller amounts of heroin and cannabis, scales, mobile phones and SIM cards. They filed criminal complaints against 6 suspects (three from Posavje and three from Ljubljana), aged between 21 and 46 years (two women and four men) and brought five of them before the Krško regional court for interrogation, where after interrogation, four of them were remanded in custody.

In activities that were coordinated by the criminal investigators from Krško, the police officer and criminal investigators of the Ljubljana Police Directorate and the General Police Directorate were also involved in addition to the police officers of the Krško PD.

Five more suspects remanded to custody after the police action on 4 June

In the evening hours on 4 June, the police concluded, with a police operation, the six-month-long investigation of a criminal association under suspcicion of committing criminal acts of illegal manufacture of and trafficking in illicit drugs, illict substances in sports and precursor substances for manufacturing illicit drugs.

According to the police data, two suspects from the Ljubljana area organised a network of dealers, who bought from them heroin and sold it in smaller quantities in the area of Posavja, Dolenjska, Gorenjska and Koroška regions. Criminal investigators established 23 suspicions of criminal offences of illicit manufacture of and trafficking in illicit drugs, and more than 140 cases of selling of these illicit substances. The suspects were supposed to sell heroin in quantities from 5 to 100 gram.  In Ljubljana, the price per gram ranged from 16 to 18 euro, while in street sales, heroin was sold at a price between 20 to 22 euro.

Until 4 and 5 June, criminal investigators and police officers conducted 15 searches of homes of suspects. They found smaller quantities of heroin, cannabis, accessories for use, scales, a larger number of mobile phones and SIM cards. They filed complaints against 26 suspects (three of them were from the Posavje region, six from the Dolenjska and Bela krajina region, ten from Ljubljana and Gorenjska region, seven from Koroška region) aged between 19 to 42 years (four women and 22 men).  11 of them were detained, 8 brought before the Krško regional court for interrogation, where after interrogation, 5 suspects were remanded to custody.

The police already dealt with the majority of suspects in the past for various property crimes (thefts and large thefts). Some of them have already been convicted for criminal offences connected with illicit drugs, and investigated for criminal offences with violent elements (serious physical injury (aggravated bodily harm, grievous bodily harm), preventing a public officer to carry out an official act); in the past, they did not observe orders of the police officers, tried to escape, resisted the police officers in carrying out lawful measures, etc.

In addition to criminal investigators and police officers of the Krško PD, police directorates in Ljubljana, Novo mesto, Kranj, and the Special Unit in General Police Directorate were also involved in activities that were coordinated by the Krško PD.

Fight against organised crime and illicit drug abuse - issues and statistics

According to Slavko Koroš, Head of the Organised Crime Section in UKP GPU, the both investigation conducted by colleagues from the Krško PD, are an example of concerted work and good collaboration both between the law enforcement bodies (police) and prosecuting authorities"Only such common and concerted approach in uncovering and prosecuting the heaviest form of crime can, of course, guarantee successful and efficient work of all those who carry out tasks in the pre-trial criminal procedure."

Data for the first five months of the year 2009 also point to successful and efficient work of the Slovenian police in the field of uncovering and investigating criminal activities: we filed criminal complaints against suspects for commiting 1373 criminal acts associated with illicit drug abuse, while in the same period last year only 876 complaints were filed, which means a 56,7-percent increase.

We also filed criminal complaints for perpetration of 75 criminal offences of illegal manufacture of and trafficking with arms and explosives, and 59 criminal offences with regard to illegal crossing of the state border or territory.

It is necessary to emphasise in particular that in last months tremendous successes were achieved in the framework of coordinated operations against international criminal associations and their members, as we have collected information and evidence and brought them before investigating judges, who placed more than 50 suspects in custody.

In addition we have seized larger quantities of illicit substances and objects, detected about 800 criminal acts and have thus significantly contributed to the fight against international organised crime. "These successes have been noticed both at home and abroad, as various national in international organisations expressed us their support. All of this presents for us, of course, an incentive and commitment to show with our acts in the future that crime is totally unacceptable", additionaly stressed Slavko Koroš.