Chilean stole 800,000 euros, police awaited him in Zagreb
Zayn A. (35) is suspected of five aggravated burglaries in Zagreb and Split. He has been remanded in custody for one month in Remetinec.
Zayn A. (35) is suspected of five aggravated burglaries in Zagreb and Split. He has been remanded in custody for one month in Remetinec.
The duty investigating judge of the Zagreb County Court has ordered one month of pre-trial detention for Chilean national Zayn A. (35), whom the Zagreb and Split police suspect of a series of burglaries in Zagreb and Dalmatia. According to investigation data, the material damage caused by the criminal offenses exceeds 800,000 euros.
The Zagreb prosecution proposed pre-trial detention due to the risk of flight and reoffending, given that he is a foreign national who arrived in Croatia without documents. The judge accepted the proposal, and the suspect will spend the next month in pre-trial detention in Remetinec. According to unofficial information from Jutarnji list, when faced with the charges, he chose to remain silent.
As Jutarnji list unofficially learns, Zayn A. stated after his arrest that he arrived in Croatia a month and a half ago, without any documents, which he claims he lost in Spain.
"I came to Croatia from Barcelona by train. And without documents, because I lost them in Spain. I stole from homes. I reached some buildings by taxi, using Bolt. I would sit on the street and watch buildings. And when a building seemed suitable, I would enter it via the balcony. The police confiscated the items they found on me during the arrest, while I had already spent the rest of the money," the suspect told police, according to unofficial information.
According to the criminal complaint, Zayn A. broke into a total of five homes between July 4 and August 1, 2026. In Zagreb, his targets were mostly foreign nationals, and the properties were located on Medveščak, where he broke into a house and an apartment, as well as a house in the Novi Zagreb area. He then moved his activities to Dalmatia, where during the night of July 31 to August 1, he broke into two apartments in Split's Žnjan neighborhood.
The Zagreb police described his modus operandi in detail.
"He approached the balcony doors, first damaging the window, then using physical force and appropriate tools to open it, after which he entered the premises. To ensure he could commit the crime undisturbed, he blocked the door with chairs and stole clothing, perfumes, jewelry, garments, cosmetics, technical equipment, a wallet with documents and money, after which he fled with the stolen items," the police stated.He stuffed the stolen items into suitcases he found in the homes, and among the loot were also cryptocurrency wallets.
Cooperation between Zagreb and Split criminal investigators played a key role in solving the case. After identifying the perpetrator, they detected that on August 3, 2026, he might be traveling from the direction of Split toward Zagreb.
"On Monday, August 3, through persistent work and intensive cooperation between the two police departments, it was detected that the suspect might be moving from the direction of Split toward Zagreb. Such operational work and cooperation resulted in his arrest upon arrival in Zagreb. The material damage caused by the criminal offenses amounts to more than 800,000 euros," the Zagreb police concluded.
During the arrest, police found some of the stolen items on the suspect, including expensive watches and gold jewelry. It remains unknown whether he managed to sell part of the loot and whether he acted alone or with an accomplice during the burglaries. Investigators will also analyze his mobile phone, which could reveal additional information about his activities.
