Six suspected drug traffickers arrested on Pag Island

Six suspected drug traffickers, including British and Italian nationals, were arrested on the island of Pag on Wednesday in a coordinated police operation, Interior Minister Davor Božinović confirmed on Thursday.

"Another drug trafficking ring has been dismantled, and the suspects have been arrested in a coordinated action by the Croatian police. We will continue to combat drug-related crime systematically and decisively while protecting the safety of our citizens," Božinović wrote on X.

Speaking to reporters later in Zagreb, Božinović said Croatian police filed 1,450 drug-related criminal charges and arrested 506 people during the first five months of the year—a 35 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025.

He said the figures demonstrate the police's commitment to tackling drug crime, adding that the operation on Pag targeted foreign drug dealers who allegedly came to Croatia to exploit the influx of tourists during the summer season.

Božinović acknowledged that illicit drugs are more readily available than ever across Europe but said Croatia has avoided the emergence of open-air drug markets.

"Our success is that there are no open drug scenes in Croatia," he said, adding that police are focused on dismantling the upper levels of trafficking networks while also cracking down on street-level dealers.

According to police, officers seized 168.8 grams of marijuana, 107.3 grams of cocaine, 44.1 grams of ketamine, 66.77 grams of MDMA, 391 MDMA tablets, and 15 doses of LSD during the operation.