At the heart of the scandal involving tens of thousands of tons of hazardous waste buried in Gospić, Varaždin, and Benkovac is the married couple Josip and Monika Šincek, with the investigation revealing a web of family ties, suspicions of corruption, and money laundering.
The investigation into tens of thousands of tons of hazardous waste that ended up buried or scattered across Croatia over the years centers on the married couple Josip and Monika Šincek. According to Uskok's suspicions, Josip Šincek was the organizer of the entire operation, the man who devised a system where profit was made from waste precisely by not disposing of it properly. Monika, his wife, was the central figure in a business and family network through which deals were negotiated, companies were managed, and field operatives were coordinated.
The basic profit model was simple. Waste disposal in European countries is extremely expensive, especially when it comes to hazardous, medical, or hard-to-decompose materials. Companies linked to the Šincek family offered lower prices than competitors and thus secured contracts. Instead of costly and proper treatment, some shipments were brought to Croatia, where the waste was shredded, covered with soil and gravel, or mixed with construction materials. The organizers pocketed the difference between the charged disposal fee and the actual, much cheaper burial.
According to information from Europol and Croatian investigators, the waste arrived in Croatia primarily from Italy, Slovenia, and Germany, with some medical waste coming from Croatian hospitals. On paper, it was allegedly presented as raw material for recycling or processing into construction material. Police estimates suggest that around 35,000 tons of waste were imported through approximately 1,750 shipments, each averaging about twenty tons. The key to the operation was documentation that portrayed the actual content, treatment, and route of the waste differently from what truly happened.
In addition to the Šincek couple, the investigation has encompassed a wider circle of family members and close associates. Mileta Stevanović, Monika's father, is suspected by investigators of being responsible for procuring the soil and gravel used to cover the shredded waste. Antonija Bauk, Monika's brother's partner, and two drivers are also mentioned as part of the group with operational roles in transport, coordinating workers, and waste concealment activities.
An important link in the business structure was Franciska Dodić, co-owner of the company Izoxeco along with Monika Šincek. According to the investigation, the linked companies coordinated workers and transport, and issued invoices to each other to siphon off money, reduce tax liabilities, and cover tracks. Investigators also suspect money laundering of hundreds of thousands of euros through loans, investments, and fake invoices. Paško Dodić, Franciska's husband and a well-known goldsmith, owns the quarry land near Benkovac where waste was also dumped without a permit. He is not among the suspects in the initial phase of the case but is an important link among the participants.
It was Paško Dodić, according to published information, who introduced Josip Šincek to the then Chief State Inspector, Andrija Mikulić. In his defense before Uskok, Šincek claimed that Mikulić demanded half a million euros in bribes to turn a blind eye and allow him to continue his operations. According to these claims, they met at least twice at a pub in Gospić. Šincek says he did not pay, and after the meetings, his companies' permits were revoked. Mikulić's lawyers have stated they know nothing about these allegations, and Uskok needs to verify their truthfulness.
Jerko Kostelac, a long-time employee of the Lika-Senj County and an environmental protection advisor, played a special role in the entire case. He issued waste management permits to the company Tipos Resurs in Gospić. Uskok suspects that permits were issued without adequate verification of the actual situation on the ground. This raises a key question: how could thousands of trucks enter these sites for years, piling up tens of thousands of tons of waste, while oversight failed to react in time?
In Gospić, waste was disposed of at the former PPK Velebit site, using silos, open areas, and surrounding land. When space ran out, part of a forest was cut down. Some material also ended up at local landfills. The investigation has expanded to other locations, including Senj and Otočac. The waste was not hidden in a few barrels or through nighttime drives; it was transported in industrial quantities, requiring transporters, workers, machinery, documentation, land, permits, and the silence of those who must have seen what was happening.
