Criminal investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police Directorate Maribor, in cooperation with Europol, the Criminal Police Directorate of the General Police Directorate and colleagues from other Police Directorate, concluded an extensive criminal investigation into an international organized crime group this week, which lasted almost two years.
Mišo Radovančević (from the Criminal Police Directorate of the General Police Directorate) and Stanko Vidovič (from the Police Directorate Maribor).
The investigation disclosed a well-organized criminal group that operated mainly in the Maribor area and carried out its illegal activities via the dark web. The four suspects, members of the criminal organization, had clearly defined roles and tasks, planned and carried out the purchase, storage, transport, and further distribution of illegal drugs, substances prohibited in sports, and medicines without marketing authorization, and focused their activities on obtaining unlawful financial gain. In addition to the four members of the criminal organization mentioned above, we identified seven other suspects who participated in the commission of related criminal offenses. Distribution and sale took place in the European Union and beyond.
The investigation is an example of modern, technologically supported organized crime, which required a high level of expertise and specific knowledge from investigators, for example in the field of digital and financial investigation. The investigation found that the leader of the criminal organization, a 47-year-old citizen of the Republic of Slovenia from the Maribor area, directed and coordinated criminal activities on the dark web and, through encrypted communication channels and the use of technical means to conceal his identity, supervised the procurement, preparation, packaging, and distribution of prohibited substances.
The roles of the individual members of the criminal organization were clearly divided, with the participation of a 43-year-old suspect, a citizen of the Czech Republic, who worked in the warehouse, and a 29-year-old Slovenian citizen, who, among other things, operated on the dark web and was also responsible for covering up the traces of the group's activities. A 46-year-old citizen of the Republic of Slovenia carried out deliveries of substances within the criminal organization.
All involved are currently under reasonable suspicion of having committed 57 criminal offenses of illicit manufacture and trade in narcotic drugs, illicit substances in sport and illicit drug precursors under Article 186 of the Criminal Code (KZ-1), criminal offenses of manufacture and trade of counterfeit medical products, medicines that do not have a marketing authorization, or medical products that do not meet compliance requirements, under Article 183.a of KZ-1, and criminal offenses of money laundering under Article 245 of KZ-1.
Approximately 100 criminal investigators and police officers from various police directorates participated in the final operation, which took place last week. Numerous personal and house searches were carried out in the areas of the Maribor, Ljubljana, Celje, Murska Sobota, and Kranj Police directorates on the basis of orders issued by the District Court Maribor. Several suspects were arrested during the investigation, and ten individuals were remanded in custody.
During personal and house searches, i.e. during the criminal investigation prior to the final operation last week, approximately 60,000 tablets, ampoules, and vials, as well as a large quantity of other types of illegal drugs, substances prohibited in sports, and medicines without marketing authorization, or medicines containing illegal drug components. Other items were also seized and will be subject to further forensic examination.
During house and personal searches of 11 individuals at multiple locations, cash in the amount of 75,000 EUR, 500 grams of investment gold and 25 silver coins, a pistol with ammunition, 1.113 tablets (illegal drugs or medicines, substances prohibited in sport), 18 mobile phones, 7 computers, a large number of other electronic devices and other items relevant to further criminal proceedings were seized. Based on an order issued by the District Court Maribor, a prohibition on the disposal of two higher price range vehicles was registered in order to secure illegally obtained property gains. An investigation was also carried out in an apartment in Maribor, which was used for storing and packaging the aforementioned substances, where a large quantity of the prohibited substances was seized.
During the criminal investigation, a total of approximately 1,000,000 items of various illegal drugs and medicines (mainly benzodiazepines, zolpidem/zopiclone, pregabalin, tapentadol, oxycodone, and other medicinal products without marketing authorization) and several thousand units of illegal substances and preparations for improving physical performance (anabolic steroids, hormones, peptides, injectable preparations, injection pens, and other galenic or medical packaging).
According to the data collected so far, the criminal organization has obtained at least 220,000 EUR in illegal financial gains through the commission of criminal offenses.
The successful conclusion of the investigation is the result of long-term, professional, and coordinated work by criminal investigators and close international cooperation, particularly in the final phase with Europol, which made a significant contribution to dismantling the criminal organization with its analytical and operational support. Particular mention should also be made of the high-quality cooperation with the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices of the Republic of Slovenia, which provided expert information and explanations during the investigation, which were important for the correct identification of the seized medicines and active substances and for guiding further investigative activities.
We also should not overlook the role of the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia in carrying out activities within the scope of its legal powers, which also contributed to the success of the investigation.
On 19. 2. 2026, the four suspects were brought before the investigating judge at District Court Maribor, who ordered their detention.
This is the second major investigation successfully completed by the Police Directorate Maribor in the recent times relating to the sale of illegal substances via postal deliveries and the dark web. An investigation completed in April last year revealed a group of five individuals who were trafficking various illegal drugs by mail in the Maribor area. During the investigation, 17 different illegal drugs in various forms were seized, including amphetamines (7.7 kg), cocaine (2.5 kg), MDMA crystals (16.5 kg), 7,700 MDMA tablets, 6 liters of MDMA liquid, 3 kg of cannabis, 3.2 kg of mephedrone, and among the new psychoactive substances, ketamine stood out with a quantity of 10.6 kg.
For the criminal offense of:
- illicit manufacture and trade in narcotic drugs, illicit substances in sport and illicit drug precursors under Article 186 of the Criminal Code (KZ-1), the prescribed penalty is imprisonment for one to ten years, or three to fifteen years if the act is committed in a criminal organization,
- production and trafficking of counterfeit medical products, medicines that do not have a marketing authorization, or medical devices that do not meet compliance requirements, under Article 183.a of the Criminal Code (KZ-1), the prescribed penalty is imprisonment for up to five years,
- money laundering under Article 245 of the Criminal Code (KZ-1), is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
Preventing and suppressing illicit drug trafficking is a priority for the Slovenian police
Preventing and combating illicit drug trafficking remains one of the key priorities of security authorities in the European Union and Slovenia. It is one of the most profitable and at the same time, most destructive forms of crime, threatening the safety of people and the stability of society. In addition to trafficking in illicit drugs, criminal groups are also attracted to trafficking in precursors for the production of illicit drugs, substances prohibited in sport, medicines containing illicit drug components, and counterfeit medicines.
The Slovenian police consistently implement the objectives of European and national strategies and action plans in the field of illicit drugs. At the same time, we are intensively strengthening cooperation with domestic and international partners, in particular with the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, security and intelligence services, and foreign security authorities.
Organized crime knows no boundaries today, so our response is not limited either. Due to its geostrategic location on the Balkan route and within the Schengen area, Slovenia faces a high level of organized crime, which is becoming increasingly adaptable, technologically supported, and internationally connected. Criminal organizations in Slovenia operate in a very deliberate, extremely cautious and innovative manner.
The Criminal Investigation Police therefore monitor new trends and modes of operation on a daily basis. In recent years, the abuse of postal and parcel services and online platforms, including the open web, social networks, and the so-called darknet, through which illegal drugs and other prohibited substances are delivered directly to users, has been particularly prominent.
For the second time in the last year, the Police Directorate Maribor has exposed an organized criminal group that ordered and distributed illicit drugs in this or a similar manner. In addition, it had rented locations for storing illicit drugs, clearly divided roles—from suppliers to couriers—and used various mobile applications for mutual communication. Their caution and ingenuity required exceptional professionalism, persistence and intensive operational work from our criminal investigators.
The resale of illegal drugs involves original factory-packaged pharmaceutical products manufactured mainly in the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which do not have the appropriate marketing authorization in the EU and other prohibited substances in sport and originate from the black market, where they were sold on the dark web or darknet. Its customers or buyers were mainly EU and third-country nationals, including Slovenian citizens. They committed several criminal offenses in the field of the illicit manufacture and trade in narcotic drugs, illicit substances in sport and medicines containing illicit drug components (under Article 186 of the Criminal Code), the production and trafficking of counterfeit medicines, medicines that do not have a marketing authorization, or medical devices that do not meet the conformity requirements (under Article 183.a of the Criminal Code), and money laundering (under Article 245 of the Criminal Code).
We can clearly say that we have once again dealt a decisive and concrete hit/blow to organized crime in Štajerska/Styria.
This success is the result of the extraordinary dedication and teamwork, flexibility and high level of expertise of all participating criminal investigators, intensive and excellent cooperation with the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia and foreign partners, within EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats) and also with Europol, where Europol experts provided operational and forensic support to Slovenian criminal investigators during the final operation.
This once again proves that the Slovenian police are a reliable and respected partner in the international security area – and that we will continue to take decisive action against all forms of organized crime in the future.
