Suspect in fires linked to 'Black Hill': Landowner hosted hazardous waste for years

A suspect arrested in connection with recent wildfires in Croatia's Zadar County has ties to a major ecological scandal known as the "Black Hill," involving the dumping of vast amounts of industrial waste.

The suspect, identified by initials V.Ć., is reportedly a co-owner of land in Biljani Donji where roughly 140,000 tons of slag from the former Tvornica elektroda i ferolegura (TEF) factory in Šibenik were deposited over several years. This accumulation of waste became one of the most notorious environmental issues in the Zadar region.

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He was paid 60,000 kuna for the lease, and he was also offered a job as a guard.

Authorities have arrested V.Ć. along with three other individuals on suspicion of starting fires at ten different locations across Zadar County. The arrests followed citizen reports of suspicious activity. During searches of two men's homes and vehicles, police found a semi-automatic rifle, a pistol, and ammunition. A judge has ordered one-month pre-trial detention for the suspects, citing the risk of re-offending and, in one case, the risk of flight.

V.Ć. has previously stated that he inherited part of the land and leased it out, believing it would be used for storing construction materials. He claims he was paid 60,000 kuna for the lease and offered a security job. However, trucks began arriving with slag from the Šibenik TEF factory, creating the "Black Hill." V.Ć. maintained that he was unaware of the true nature of the deposited material and felt he was also a victim of deception. He noted that locals had wrongly held him responsible for the situation for years.

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He claimed that he did not know what would actually be disposed of on his land and that he himself had been deceived.