At today's press conference in the General Customs Office, representatives of the Slovene police and customs disclosed details of two sizeable discoveries of illicit drugs, 18 kg of anabolic steroids at Jože Pučnik Airport, Ljubljana, and 16 kg of heroin at the Metlika International Border Crossing.

Roman Kržan, head of the Criminal Investigation Police Section at the Novo mesto Police Directorate, Simon Velički, head of the Criminal Investigation Police Section at the Kranj Police Directorate, Milan Bogatič, head of the Investigation Section at the General Customs Directorate, and Aleš Laharnar, deputy head of the Customs Branch Office in Metlika presented the findings.

Seizure of 18 kg of anabolic steroids at Jože Pučnik Airport, Ljubljana

On 19 December 2008, members of a customs mobile unit examined consignments arriving by express delivery service at Jože Pučnik Airport, Ljubljana. Among others was a consignment sent to a recipient in Slovenia by a Bulgarian citizen in a combined vehicle via Vienna. Due to suspicion of illicit goods being smuggled through the Balkan route by means of express delivery service, the customs officers checked the consignment. They discovered 18.20 kg of illicit anabolic steroids in two sealed cartons:

• 100 plastic bottles containing 200 STANABOL tablets with active substance Stanazolol 10 mg (exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids);
• 20 plastic bottles containing 200 ANAVA tablets with active substance Oxandrolone 5 mg (exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids);
• 50 bags containing 50 TURINABOL tablets with active substance Dehydrochlormenthyltestosteron 10 mg (exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids);
• 460 glass ampoules containing 1 ml of SOMATROPE with active substance Somatropin 5 mg (growth hormone).

This was the biggest seizure to date of anabolic steroids in Slovenia.

26,500 tablets and 460 ampoules were taken with a view to investigation, by police officers of the Kranj Police Directorate, of a 34-year old Ljubljana inhabitant suspected of committing criminal acts of illicit production of and trafficking in illicit drugs, illicit substances in sports and precursor substances for manufacturing illicit drugs in accordance with Article 186/I of the Penal Code (KZ-1), since all the stated substances are included in the list of illicit substances and procedures published in accordance with the ratification of the International Convention against Doping in Sport Act.

The police officers conducted a house search, in which they seized a personal computer and a plastic package containing 5 g of dried plant parts. A criminal investigation in this department is now underway, and a criminal complaint for the discovered consignment was filed against the suspect to the Kranj District Public Prosecutor's Office.

From 1 November 2008, the Penal Code of the Republic of Slovenia has also covered illicit substances in sport (anabolic steroids) and precursor substances for illicit drug production. Articles 186 and 187 define criminal offences in connection with plants and substances listed as illicit drugs or illicit substances in sport or as precursor substances for illicit drug production.

Seizure of 16 kg of heroin at the Metlika International Border Crossing

On 24 December 2008, a 29-year-old from Bosna and Herzegovina coming from Croatia crossed the Metlika International Border Crossing from Croatia. He declared five packages of cigarettes; however, the customs officer decided to carry out a more precise examination of the car.

In the interior of the car, he noticed packages of irregular shape poking through the openings for safety belts in the rear side the car. The packages were hidden behind the covering and were wrapped in plastic sheet containing a yellowish powder-like substance. Preliminary tests indicated that it was heroin. In a total of 30 packages there was 16.20 kg of heroin.

The customs officer handed the driver and goods over to police officers at the Metlika Border Police Station. Police officers ordered his detention. Criminal investigators from the Criminal Investigation Police Section at the Novo mesto Police Directorate visited the police station and collected notifications.

The citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina was arrested on suspicion of committing criminal acts of illicit drug production of and trafficking in illicit drugs, illicit substances in sport and precursor substances for illicit drug production, pursuant to Article 186/I and III of the Penal Code (KZ-1). Investigators have reason to believe that the suspect is a member of a criminal organisation (a transporter), and had unjustifiably possessed and transported a large quantity of heroin hidden in a vehicle.

On 25 December 2008, the suspect was, on the basis of the criminal complaint, brought to the duty investigating judge in the Novo mesto District Court, who ordered detention.

The street value of the seized heroin would be EUR 500,000.

The last major seizure of heroin took place on 13 November 2008 at the Gruškovje International Border Crossing, when customs and police officers found and seized 105 kilograms of this illicit drug in a freight vehicle of a Turkish citizen. The Slovenian customs seized 121 kg of heroin in 2008 and 33 kg in 2007.

The Slovenian police seized 140 kg of heroin in 2008 and around 60 kg in 2007, according to provisional data. Additionally, in the area of illicit drugs, the police filed charges for 1,868 criminal offences in the last year and 1,569 in 2007.