Croatia Seizes Cocaine On Balkan Smuggling Route

[Ruzica]

The value of the seized drugs was put at 82 million kuna ($16.5 million), the radio said.

Croatian police have seized 160 kg (350 lb) of cocaine in the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka in an operation with Bosnia and Greece, they said on Wednesday.

"This is a strong blow to the narco-mafia in the Balkans, which increasingly use Adriatic ports, in addition to roads, for their illegal activities," the head of the Croatian police, Marijan Benko, told state radio.

The value of the seized drugs was put at 82 million kuna ($16.5 million), the radio said.

According to local media, a police operation in the three countries had been going on for almost four months and resulted in the arrest of several people in Greece, Bosnia's Serb republic and Croatia.

Croatia lies on a notorious Balkan trafficking route where smugglers of cigarettes, drugs and people regularly make use of the mountainous terrain.

[Ruzica]

Nine people have been arrested and 160 kg of cocaine seized in an international police operation in Banja Luka.

The cocaine has a market value of some EUR 11mn.

The operation has been conducted over the last three days in the Republic of Srpska (RS), Croatia and Greece, with six arrests being made in Banja Luka, two in Zagreb and Vinkovci, and one in Greece. Four people have been released, while the others have been remanded in custody.

After their arrest, the suspects were transferred to the Bosnian Prosecution for questioning.