At the site of a former state-owned agro-industrial complex in Gospić in central Croatia, tens of thousands of tons of various waste have been illegally deposited and buried for years. So-called forever chemicals have penetrated into the soil and groundwater. Due to the shifting of responsibility among the competent institutions of Croatia and the relativization of what is obviously organized crime in the sector, a protest has been scheduled for September 5 in the center of Zagreb. The public and organizations are worried that the current scandal is just the tip of the iceberg.
Investigation is underway in Croatia into the largest waste smuggling scandal in the region so far. However, the case has been dragging on for years. The residents of Gospić, a town where an estimated 37,000 tons were found, have sent a message that enough is enough.
More than 200 public figures and organizations have supported the protest announced for Saturday, September 5, in the center of the capital Zagreb. A rally will be held between the central train station and the main city square.
“The right to a healthy environment and a healthy life is a fundamental human right, and not a privilege that needs to be won through protests. Institutions and the responsible persons within them are obliged to finally take responsibility for the negligence and failures,” they stated.
Signatories of the declaration include human rights groups, artists and journalists. Among them are famous actor and director Rade Šerbedžija and the President of the European Federation of Journalists and Trade Union of Croatian Journalists, Maja Sever.
Gospić initiative expects people from all over Croatia at protest in capital city
An initiative called Gospić is our Home (Gospić je naš dom) is spearheading the planned rally in Zagreb. It expects protesters to arrive from all over Croatia. Tap water in and around the largest town of the sparsely inhabited Lika region and the surrounding area remains safe, together with untreated water from three local springs.
But there is no more time to lose. Expert analysis confirmed that the notorious forever chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – PFAS) have leached into the soil and groundwater, warned Vjekoslav Bušić from the local activist group. Heavy metals, including lead, have also been detected.
Citizens of Gospić and other areas have already submitted blood samples to test for the presence of PFAS.
International criminal network with Italian connections
Thirteen people were arrested in February of last year in a joint operation by the police and Croatia’s Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK), with support from Europol.
Among the detained were Varaždin businessman Josip Šincek and his wife Monika. They are suspected of illegally importing, storing, and burying waste.
An international criminal network is being untangled.
Plastic, medical, electronic, electrical and other types of waste were buried or unloaded in Gospić at the site of a former state-owned agricultural and food complex, PPK Velebit. A portion of the waste was found crushed, shredded or processed in another way. Some of the hazardous waste is from construction materials.
First suspicions and reports date back five years
Citizens and activists first began complaining about trucks arriving at the silos on the outskirts of the town in 2021! Moreover, in 2024, the Lika-Senj County administration revoked and then reissued a waste management permit to Tipos resurs, a company owned by Monika Šincek.
The material was smuggled into the country from Italy and, to a lesser extent, from Slovenia. Several other dump sites have been discovered, including locations in Varaždin, Benkovac, and Senj. It is currently the number one public issue in Croatia, and the upcoming protest will give it even greater visibility.
Consequently, reports of illegal dumping and subsequent arrests are now surfacing more frequently. The Italian mafia, including the Neapolitan ‘Ndrangheta, is known for waste smuggling operations.
PM Plenković: Hysteria and political grandstanding
Estimated cleanup costs in Gospić run as high as EUR 100 million. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković dismissed the reactions of the opposition and the public as hysteria and political grandstanding, claiming they are simply inciting panic.
A session of the parliamentary environmental protection committee was held in Gospić. Next, President Zoran Milanović used his powers to call an extraordinary session of the Croatian Parliament, which addressed the waste scandal.
People of Lika not backing down one inch
Local residents, citizens throughout Croatia and activist groups refuse to give up their fight to establish political and criminal accountability.
The government announced that it is taking full financial responsibility for the environmental cleanup. Officials also announced plans to declare ecocide a distinct criminal offense.
Two bids have just been submitted for each of the first two phases of rehabilitation of the PPK Velebit site.
Cleanup operations are opportunity for corruption, too
Green activist Vjeran Piršić expressed confidence that modern technology can facilitate a quick and easy operation in Gospić, 24 sata reported. However, he warned that past cleanup projects in Croatia have frequently turned into financial theft.
Residents of Gospić have also protested against the construction of a factory designed to process lithium carbonate into lithium hydroxide monohydrate. The chemical is used for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles. The site of a firm called Jedro DS Innovation is in Gospić’s industrial zone Smiljansko polje, not far from Smiljan, the birthplace of Nikola Tesla.
He was a visionary Serb-American engineer and physicist who invented the alternating current (AC) electricity system and pioneered work in wireless communication and numerous other areas.
