Serious Incident on Brijuni: Boat Impersonated Croatian Military, Entered Restricted Area

A security incident unfolded on the Croatian island of Brijuni when a vessel attempted to enter a restricted area by falsely presenting itself as a Croatian military ship. The group aboard, comprising Croatian and Slovenian citizens, allegedly used military markings and uniforms to bypass security checks and avoid port fees. This deception was reportedly employed to gain unauthorized access to the park.

The situation was particularly sensitive as the Chief State Attorney, Ivan Turudić, was reportedly visiting Brijuni at the time, placing the area under increased security surveillance. The vessel, identified as privately owned by the Olimp Defense Group, is linked to a Slovenian transporter and a retired Croatian army member. Its captain, identified as K.G., is reportedly known to security services, and his criminal record had previously led to the cancellation of a police boat procurement tender.

Maritime police, the Coast Guard, and the military responded to the suspicious movement of the boat near the protected person. The vessel was intercepted in the Brijuni area, and an inspection was conducted. While the Police Administration confirmed that proceedings are ongoing and declined to provide further details, unofficial reports suggest the crew was fined 1,000 euros and will be further interrogated.

Further complicating the narrative, a port authority official stated that suspicions of false representation began after the crew announced the arrival of a supposed Vietnamese military delegation. The official recounted being asked for a brief docking for this delegation, only for the actual Coast Guard to arrive and confirm no such official delegation was present.

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We received an inquiry from the Brijuni National Park surveillance service asking if it was possible to dock for 10 minutes in Brijuni and Fažana because they supposedly had some 'military delegation from Vietnam.' I told them it was no problem for those 10 minutes. Today, I received another inquiry from the same gentleman. However, at that moment, the actual Coast Guard arrived, and they confirmed that no official military delegation was in Brijuni.