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FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ZAGREB 000649 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT PASS TO INL: JOHN LYLE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SNAR KCRM HR
SUBJECT: CROATIA: INCSR 2009-2010, PART 1 
 
ZAGREB 00000649  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶1. The following is the International Narcotics Control Strategy 
Report, 2009-2010, Part 1 for Croatia. 
 
BEGIN TEXT. 
Croatia 
 
¶I. Summary 
 
The Republic of Croatia is a transit point through which narcotics 
are smuggled from production countries to consumer countries.  While 
smuggling occurs both overland and by sea, the most significant 
seizures, particularly for cocaine, are connected with sea 
transport.  Croatian law enforcement bodies cooperate actively with 
their U.S., EU and regional counterparts to combat narcotics 
smuggling.  Croatian authorities estimate that smuggling of narcotic 
drugs via container traffic will increase.  According to available 
indicators, the drug supply increased and became more diverse in 
recent years.  These changes have led to an increase in drug use, 
particularly among young people.  Some of the factors that are 
contributing to the growth of narcotic-related crime in Croatia are 
the liberalization of border traffic as part of the EU integration 
process, increasing tourism and maritime traffic, the long maritime 
border, and Croatia's geographical position as a crossroads between 
the East and West and Northern and Southern Europe.  The illicit 
production and/or distribution of narcotics as well as laundering of 
crime proceeds are punishable under Croatian law.  Croatia is a 
party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.  The Government's Office for 
Combating Narcotic Drugs Abuse has been intensively working on 
building and strengthening national systems and is actively involved 
in European and broader international initiatives. 
 
II. Status of Country 
 
Geographically, Croatia is located in South-East Europe at the 
crossroads of the Mediterranean, Central Europe, and the Balkans. 
The long land border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia, 
Montenegro, and Hungary, and a 1777 km coastline (plus an additional 
1185 islands) are attractive targets for contraband smugglers 
seeking to move narcotics into the large European market.  The 
"Balkan route" is recognized as the shortest way from the East to 
Western Europe and lately it has become a two-way route with heroin 
and cocaine moving through Croatia to Western Europe and synthetic 
drugs moving from Western European producers to the Middle East and 
Asia.  There has also been a recent increase in cocaine traffic 
coming into Croatia from South America via Africa and then on to 
other European destinations.  According to Croatian authorities, 
there is no significant or organized production of narcotics in 
Croatia, and domestic production is limited to individuals growing 
marijuana for the domestic narcotic market. 
 
III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2008 and 2009 
 
Policy Initiatives. Beginning in 1995, Croatian officials created a 
counternarcotics master plan which is divided into a National 
Strategy and an Action Plan which define the tasks of individual 
ministries and state administration bodies involved in 
counternarcotics efforts.  The "National Strategy on Combating 
Narcotic Drugs Abuse (2006-2012)" and the "Action Plan on Combating 
Narcotic Drugs Abuse in the Republic of Croatia for 2009-2012," 
delineate the tasks of relevant ministries and government 
administration bodies in Croatia's fight against the use and trade 
in illegal drugs.  Croatia's new National Strategy replaced a former 
program that was implemented in 1996 and ended in 2005.  The 
strategy is comprehensive and covers the same five pillars as the 
EU's strategy: coordination, supply reduction, demand reduction, 
international cooperation, and information, research, and 
evaluation.  Its two main goals are: (i) a reduction in drug use, 
drug addiction and related health and social risks and (ii) the 
promotion of successful law enforcement efforts to curtail the 
production and trafficking of drugs and precursors. The strategy is 
complemented by the Action Plan which implements annual programs. 
The Plan describes in detail the specific aims and methods for 
achieving the strategic goals, as well as specific tasks of 
particular offices and ministries for each budgetary period. 
 
Addiction prevention programs in Croatia, which were established in 
2005 in all counties, involve sectors such as education, health and 
social care, nongovernmental organizations, and media. There are 21 
counties in the Republic of Croatia, each with a County Commission 
on Combating Narcotic Drugs Abuse bringing together local experts 
from different fields.  In 2008, the Government also passed the 
Annual Employment Plan, which includes guidelines for the employment 
of rehabilitated addicts. 
 
The Croatian Penal Code provides for criminal penalties for 
narcotics and narcotics-related offenses.  The minimum penalty for 
narcotics production and dealing is three years. The minimum penalty 
for selling narcotics by organized groups is five years. The minimum 
penalty for incitement or facilitating the use of illegal narcotics 
is one year. In addition, punishment for possession of related 
equipment or precursor chemicals has a mandatory sentence of no less 
than one year. 
 
ZAGREB 00000649  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts. The Interior Ministry, Justice Ministry and 
Customs Directorate share responsibilities for law enforcement 
efforts, while the Ministry of Health has primary responsibility for 
the strategy to reduce and treat drug abuse. The Interior Ministry's 
Anti-Narcotics Division is responsible for coordinating the work of 
counter narcotics units in police departments throughout the 
country. The Ministry of Interior reported successful and effective 
cooperation in 2008 and the first six months of 2009 with DEA, FBI, 
the General Inspectorate of Interpol, UNODC (the UN's Office for 
Drug-Control and Crime Prevention) and other agencies responsible 
for drug control. 
 
Under Croatian law, police are allowed to use undercover 
investigators and confidants, simulated purchases or sales, 
simulated bribery, secret surveillance, technical recording of 
persons, and wiretapping.  Croatian criminal legislation 
strengthened measures to confiscate assets of organized crime groups 
in late 2008 by shifting the burden of proof about the legitimate 
origins of assets to the defendant rather than the prosecutors. 
Reverse sting authorization was included in December 2008 changes to 
the Criminal Procedure Act, but police did not conduct a reverse 
sting operation during the reporting period.  According to the 
amendments to the Croatian Penal Code (article 82), if a case falls 
under the authority of the specialized prosecutors who work in the 
Office for Suppression of Organized Crime and Corruption (USKOK), it 
shall be assumed that all of a defendant's property was acquired by 
criminal offences, unless the defendant can prove the legal origin 
of assets.  The pecuniary gain in such cases shall also be 
confiscated if it is in possession of a close third party (e.g. 
spouse, relatives, and family members) and it has not been acquired 
in good faith.  Croatia continues to cooperate well with other 
European states to improve border management.  Authorities described 
this cooperation on narcotics enforcement issues with neighboring 
states as good. 
 
In 2009, the Croatian Police created separate Police USKOK 
(PN-USKOK) offices to correspond with the prosecutor's USKOK 
offices.  This should enable better cooperation on drug trafficking 
and organized crime cases between police and prosecutors.  Croatia 
also created separate sections within the four largest courts to 
hear USKOK cases with specially trained and vetted judges. 
 
Croatian laws are generally sufficient to combat narcotics 
trafficking and drug use.  The Criminal Law covers the illicit use 
(possession), production, and trade of narcotics.  The law also 
criminalizes acts committed under the influence of drugs.  Criminal 
sanctions vary from a fine to long-term imprisonment, depending on 
the nature of the crime and crime consequences.  The Act on 
Combating Narcotic Abuse, enacted in 2001, covers misdemeanor 
crimes, the export and use of precursor chemicals, and other 
administrative and regulatory issues.  The act requires all persons 
or corporations to obtain import, export, or transport licenses for 
any quantity of listed drugs or precursors.  The act also regulates 
healthcare, treatment, international cooperation, and drug education 
and other preventive programs. 
 
During 2008, seizures of various types of narcotics declined 10 
percent from 2007 to 5,879 seizures.  The seizure rate continued to 
drop in 2009, falling by 9 percent for the first nine months to 
4,158.  The Ministry of Interior reported that the general, 
undercover, customs, and/or border police seized drugs in the 
following amounts during 2008 and the first nine months of 2009: 
                     2008               2009 
    Cocaine          29 kg              5kg 
    Heroin           153 kg             57 kg 
    Marijuana        221 kg             204 kg 
    Hashish          5 kg               112 kg 
    Amphetamine      15 kg              4 kg 
    Hemp (stalk)     268,822 pieces.    n/a 
    Heptanone        10,920 tablets     2,754 tablets 
    Ecstasy          6,855 tablets      1,879 tablets 
    LSD              654 doses          9 doses 
 
The largest seizures of cocaine in the Republic of Croatia occurred 
in the container terminal of the port of Rijeka.  No seizures 
occurred at sea during the reporting period.  Evidence indicates 
that the cocaine was intended for the illegal narcotic markets of 
Western Europe.  Cocaine trafficking has been increasing in recent 
years and this has been generally reflected in the overall seizure 
rate: 
    2008   233 seizures 
    2007   253 seizures 
    2006   179 seizures 
    2005   147 seizures 
    2004   135 seizures 
In the first nine months of 2009, however, cocaine seizure have 
fallen dramatically with only 5 kg seized compared to more than 25 
kg in the same period in 2008. 
 
A total of 7,882 drug related criminal offences were registered in 
2008 which constitute 10.6 percent of all reported criminal offences 
 
ZAGREB 00000649  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
in Croatia.  Police filed criminal charges against 5,225 
individuals.  The Ministry of Interior reported 5,610 criminal acts 
related to narcotic abuse were registered in the period from January 
1 to September 30, 2009.  Nearly one-third of those are complex 
felony cases.  During this time period, 4,723 persons were charged 
with narcotic-related crimes. 
 
Corruption. The illicit production and/or distribution of narcotics 
as well as the laundering of criminal proceeds are punishable under 
Croatian law.  As a matter of government policy, neither Croatian 
officials nor the Croatian government facilitate the production, 
processing, or shipment of drugs, or the laundering of the proceeds 
of illegal drug transactions.  The USG is not aware of any 
allegations of senior government officials participating in such 
activities. Croatia is a party to the UN Corruption Convention. 
 
Agreements and Treaties. Croatia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by the 1972 
Protocol, and the 1972 UN Convention Against Psychotropic 
Substances.  Croatia is also a party to the UN Convention against 
Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols against trafficking 
in persons, migrant smuggling, and illegal manufacturing and 
trafficking in firearms.  Extradition between Croatia and the United 
States is governed by the 1902 Extradition Treaty between the U.S. 
and the Kingdom of Serbia, which applies to Croatia as a successor 
state.  The Croatian Constitution prohibits the extradition of 
Croatian nationals, but the Government was preparing a 
constitutional amendment during the reporting period as part of EU 
accession negotiations to allow extradition of its nationals.  On 
March 1, 2008, the Croatian Ministry of Interior sent a liaison 
officer to Europol. 
 
Cultivation/Production. Small-scale cannabis production for domestic 
use is the only known narcotics production within Croatia.  Poppy 
seeds are cultivated on a small scale for culinary use.  Because of 
Croatia's small drug market and a relatively porous border, Croatian 
police report that nearly all illegal drugs are imported into 
Croatia. 
 
Drug Flow/Transit. Croatia lies along part of the "Balkan Route" for 
heroin smuggling.  Officials report that the Balkan Route is now 
"two-way," with heroin and other drugs from Asia moving through 
Croatia to Western Europe and synthetic drugs produced in Western 
Europe smuggled through to the East.  Drugs are smuggled through 
Croatia both overland and via the sea, and Croatian authorities 
believe that smuggling through shipping containers will increase in 
the coming years.  Although Croatia is not considered a primary 
gateway, police seizure data indicate smugglers continue to attempt 
to use Croatia as a transit point for non-opiate drugs, including 
cocaine and cannabis-based drugs. A general increase in narcotics 
abuse and smuggling has been attributed to liberalization of border 
traffic and increased tourism and maritime activities.  The Ministry 
of Interior reports that most large-scale shipments of marijuana and 
hashish arrive from Africa and are being smuggled via ship.  Some 
smaller quantities of marijuana are brought into Croatia by foreign 
tourists during the summer season, mostly for their own consumption. 
 Some marijuana is also produced through domestic illegal 
cultivation.  Synthetic drugs like amphetamine and derivates of 
amphetamine, mostly Ecstasy tablets, are smuggled from Western 
European producer countries and also from narcotic markets in Asia 
and from Croatia's neighboring countries. 
 
Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. The Office for Combating Drug 
Abuse develops the National Strategy for Narcotics Abuse Prevention 
and is the focal point for agency coordination activities to reduce 
demand for narcotics. According to the most recent indicators, drug 
availability increased on the Croatian market in the past several 
years, which resulted in an increased number of drug addicts, 
especially among youth.  According to the Croatian Public Health 
Institute the number of treated persons continues to decrease.  Of 
the treated addicts the greatest number were treated for addiction 
to opiates and marijuana. In 2008, 116 drug-abusers died, which is a 
30 percent decline from 2007.  Of these deaths, approximately 70 
percent were overdoses.  Nearly half of all heroin addicts were 
infected with the hepatitis C, and 13.6 percent were positive on 
hepatitis B.  The Ministry of Education requires drug education in 
primary and secondary schools.  The state-run medical system offers 
treatment for addicts, and slots are sufficient to accommodate those 
seeking treatment. 
 
In 2008 the Republic of Croatia spent 84 million kuna (USD 17.5 
million) for the implementation of the National Strategy and the 
Action Plan, which include both law enforcement efforts and demand 
reduction programs.  In 2008 the state budget for the implementation 
of the activities stated in the National Action Plan and the 
Strategy increased by 26.4 percent in comparison with 2007. During 
the first six months of 2009, Croatia only spent 30 million kuna 
(USD 6.3 million), reflecting cuts to the national budget due to the 
economic crisis. 
 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
 
 
ZAGREB 00000649  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
Bilateral Cooperation. U.S. counternarcotics policy in Croatia is 
focused on expanding the capacity of the police and prosecutor's 
drug divisions and working with investigators from the Croatian 
Ministry of the Interior's Drug Division on their international 
investigations, particularly with respect to South America-based 
drug trafficking organizations.  DEA is the lead agency in this 
endeavor and continues to foster an outstanding relationship with 
Croatian law enforcement. DEA has achieved significant results with 
respect to bilateral and multilateral investigations and cooperation 
in 2009. Croatia is also a regular participant at international drug 
conferences covering strategic as well as operational matters.  U.S. 
assistance for police reform efforts under the State 
Department-supported ICITAP (Department of Justice) program is now 
focused on combating organized crime and corruption.  The Export 
Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS) also provides 
support and training to customs and border police.  DEA, ICITAP, and 
EXBS training and cooperation have helped lead to several seizures 
and more effective prosecutions of drug crimes. 
 
Road Ahead. In 2010, the ICITAP and EXBS programs will continue to 
train and advise Croatian law enforcement personnel on 
anti-narcotics activities.  The Department of Defense is also 
assisting with counternarcotics equipment for border police through 
the U.S. European Command.  Resident advisors will continue to 
assist the Ministry of Interior and Office for Suppression of 
Organized Crime and Corruption (USKOK) in improving police and 
prosecutor cooperation in complex narcotics and organized crime 
cases and plan to assist Croatian police and prosecutors in planning 
and conducting reverse sting operations and prosecutions.  EXBS 
(Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance) programs 
will also assist the Ministry of Interior and Customs Directorate to 
enhance their capabilities in fighting narcotics and organized crime 
cases. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
FOLEY