Croatian Police Officer Suspected of Leaking Data to Drug Ring

Croatian authorities have uncovered a significant breach within the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), involving a police officer suspected of leaking sensitive data to a criminal organization. The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (USKOK) has launched an investigation into three Croatian citizens, including the police officer from the anti-drug unit PNUSKOK. The officer is accused of abusing his official position to access and obtain data on vehicle owners from the MUP's internal information system between February 3 and 6, 2021. These details were reportedly not accessible to individuals outside the MUP. Investigators suspect the officer acted at the request of a second defendant, who asked him to check specific vehicles. The third defendant allegedly provided details about cars believed to be used by police officers monitoring individuals connected to drug dealing. The officer, who was on annual leave at the time, allegedly came to his workplace to conduct these checks. He is suspected of then transmitting the owners' identities to the second defendant, who passed them on to the third. Unconfirmed reports link this case to a larger criminal group allegedly led by Marko Benzon, a former world kickboxing champion. This group was arrested last April in a major police operation and is suspected of smuggling and distributing large quantities of drugs. USKOK has previously identified Benzon as the suspected leader of a criminal organization involved in acquiring various drugs between 2021 and 2023. The investigation has reportedly utilized data analysis from encrypted communication applications like SKY.