Fran Šutalo (29) from Dramalj was arrested with a larger quantity of cocaine and a precision scale, facing a sentence of 3 to 12 years in prison.
Fran Šutalo, a 29-year-old driving instructor from Dramalj, has been placed in pretrial detention in Rijeka on suspicion of possessing a larger quantity of cocaine intended for further sale. The decision was made by the investigating judge of the County Court in Rijeka, accepting the proposal of the Municipal State Attorney's Office in Rijeka, which believes there is a risk of reoffending.
According to the investigation, on Monday, police first found a PVC bag with 0.78 grams of cocaine in Šutalo's waist bag, in a coin purse. Then, in his apartment in Dramalj, they discovered a paper wrap with approximately 61.5 grams of cocaine, as well as an additional five bags in the shape of "tears" containing just over 4 grams in total, in individual amounts ranging from 0.81 to 0.84 grams. In total, about 66.5 grams of cocaine were seized, and a digital scale for precise measurement with traces of white powdery substance was also found.
Portal Burin has learned from sources close to the investigation that the suspect claimed during his defense that the drugs were exclusively for his personal use. "The drugs were for his personal use, denying the criminal offense and asserting that the drugs were not intended for sale, and that he voluntarily handed everything over to police officers," his defense stated. Šutalo said he obtained the cocaine in Zagreb at a price of 40 euros per gram, purchasing about seventy grams, but refused to reveal from whom, citing personal safety. He added that he has been a drug user for about two years.
His monthly income as a driving instructor amounts to about 1,400 euros, and according to official records, he has no prior criminal or misdemeanor convictions.
The Rijeka prosecution dismissed Šutalo's claims, emphasizing that the quantity of seized drugs refutes them. "This thesis is undermined by the quantity of seized drugs, which far exceeds the needs for personal consumption, and the way it was packaged, separated into PVC bags, suitable for further distribution on the illegal market," states the proposal for pretrial detention. The found precision scale with traces of white powder also adds to the suspect's burden.
It is estimated that from 66.5 grams of cocaine, with an average street dose of 30 to 70 mg, hundreds, or even more than a thousand users could be supplied. In the Rijeka region, the street price of a gram of cocaine currently ranges between 80 and 100 euros.
For the criminal offense he is charged with, the Croatian Criminal Code prescribes a sentence of 3 to 12 years in prison. However, practice shows that there is also the possibility of a milder sanction, such as a one-year suspended sentence. For now, Fran Šutalo remains in pretrial detention.
