The investigation into the 33-year-old Serbian national arrested in Zagreb has taken on a new dimension. While the investigation continues, someone attempted to kill the suspect in custody.
The investigation into the 33-year-old Serbian national arrested in late July 2026 in Zagreb could have far more serious implications than ordinary cybercrime. According to information from Jutarnji list, there is suspicion that the suspect is linked to the Serbian Security Intelligence Agency (BIA). These allegations have not yet been confirmed by official bodies.
The case has moved beyond standard hacking after investigators uncovered traces pointing to a potential connection with the intelligence service of a neighboring country. The State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia (DORH) charges the suspect with multiple criminal offenses against computer systems, programs, and data, as well as unauthorized use of personal data.
The Chief State Attorney, Ivan Turudić, indirectly referred to this case a few days ago. In an interview with RTL, without revealing specific details, he mentioned that DORH is intensively working on a major case.
We currently have one major case. Initially, it didn't show great potential, as we usually say, and it involves state security. We are working on it very diligently right now. We don't know what tomorrow brings, Turudić said for RTL.
Although Turudić did not explicitly confirm that he was referring to this specific case, the timing and the nature of the investigation strongly suggest a connection.
According to DORH's suspicions, the 33-year-old, born in 1993, during 2026, illegally penetrated the computer systems of several public authorities and legal entities founded by the Republic of Croatia. In doing so, he concealed his identity and location using anonymization methods.
During the investigation, the police searched the suspect's premises, car, and electronic devices, and collected digital information and other items related to the committed offenses. After the initial interrogation, the Zagreb County State Attorney's Office requested pre-trial detention due to the risk of flight, influence on witnesses, and the possibility of repeating the criminal offense. The investigating judge accepted this proposal.
Additional public attention was drawn by the news from the Zagreb police released last week. In the detention unit in Črnomerec, a 22-year-old attempted to kill the 33-year-old Serbian national. Police officers stopped the attack, and the injured man was taken to the hospital.
The police are still investigating all the circumstances of this incident. So far, it is not known whether the attempted murder is related to the criminal offense the suspect is charged with or if it is an isolated conflict within the detention unit.
