USKOK's investigation reveals tens of thousands of tons of illegally dumped waste in Gospić and other towns, with expert analyses confirming the hazardous nature of the materials and their environmental impact. The case has escalated into a political crisis for the government.
For years, residents of Gospić have whispered about improper waste disposal, but the full extent only became clear after police and USKOK launched an investigation into businessman Josip Šincek, his wife Monika, and other suspects. Publicly available information shows that Šincek's company had previously been under scrutiny by inspectors, particularly regarding cross-border waste movements, indicating that the problem did not emerge overnight.
The unraveling of one of the most severe environmental crimes in Croatia's history began in February 2025, when the Šinceks were arrested. On February 14, 2025, USKOK officially initiated an investigation into suspicions of an organized network for illegal waste handling. At that time, the investigation covered ten individuals and four companies, suspected of conspiracy to commit criminal offenses, aggravated environmental crime, document forgery, tax evasion, and money laundering.
A document presented by Milinović reveals that the City of Gospić had information about waste disposal as early as October 10, 2023. "I received the document from an employee because there was no official channel for it. He says, on October 10, 2023, at 1:48 PM, a citizen sent an email stating that tens of thousands of tons of waste were being disposed of there. So, the city, the institution of the City, had this information. The document exists," Milinović told Telegram.hr.
In early 2024, activists reported the Gospić waste case through the Ministry of Interior's app but received no feedback on whether any action was taken. Residents claim they had heard rumors of suspicious waste dumping for years and had photographed trucks arriving for months, yet no one did anything.
In February 2025, Europol released an estimate indicating that at least 35,000 tons of waste had been illegally dumped, generating at least €4 million in profits. Laboratory analysis revealed that the illegally dumped waste, which had been declared as recyclable plastic, is legally considered hazardous waste. There are suspicions that the criminal group illegally buried and disposed of medical waste originating from Croatian companies.
The investigation covered the period from early 2022 to September 30, 2024, during which, according to investigators' suspicions, the import and transport of waste were organized, along with its improper disposal in Varaždin, Gospić, and Benkovac. Investigators believe Šincek was a key figure in a system through which approximately 35,000 tons of waste, mainly from Italy, Slovenia, and Germany, were allegedly imported into Croatia and illegally dumped.
A few months later, on June 13, 2025, USKOK expanded the investigation against three defendants and one legal entity. In this context, they also looked into a senior environmental protection advisor for Lika-Senj County, suspected of having issued a waste management permit to a company in September and October 2022, despite the prerequisites not being met.
In March 2026, the investigation was expanded again: three more suspects were added, and a location in Senj was included, where, according to USKOK, at least 2,640.23 tons of waste were illegally dumped. In May, HRT reported that other companies were also involved in the case alongside Šincek's company.
In March 2026, an expert report on environmental protection was prepared for the industrial complex at Bilajska 50 in Gospić, commissioned by USKOK and conducted by the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Zagreb. According to the report and its supplement, published by USKOK on August 6, the analysis determined that approximately 37,000 tons of mixed technogenic waste are present at that location, including plastics, waste electrical and electronic equipment, medical waste, and construction and mineral materials.
Some analyzed samples exhibited hazardous ecotoxicity properties (HP14), with one sample exceeding the limit value by approximately ten times. In groundwater downstream from the site, analyses detected the presence of PFAS compounds, while in a control sample taken upstream, their levels did not exceed the detection limit. According to the experts, the landfill is likely causing the spread of PFAS compounds into groundwater, and the illegal waste disposal has a real local impact on their condition.
Due to concerns about the potential impact of the illegal landfill on water, samples were taken on March 23, 2026, from the Mrđenovac spring, the water supply network in Gospić, and the Tonkovića vrilo spring in Otočac. In Mrđenovac, as well as in the water from the public network it supplies, none of the 20 tested PFAS compounds were found, while at Tonkovića vrilo, the measured concentration of PFAS compounds was 20 times lower than the permitted maximum.
On August 12, 2026, the Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) reported that multiple tests for PFAS compounds had been conducted during the year, with a positive result recorded in only one sample, at Tonkovića vrilo. The Institute emphasizes that current findings do not indicate that public drinking water in the county is contaminated due to the illegal landfill. Since the beginning of the year, 159 analyses of basic parameters related to water safety have been conducted.
The Public Health Institute of Lika-Senj County has called on citizens using private wells, cisterns, or local water systems not connected to the public supply to come forward immediately so that data on individual water supplies can be collected.
Following all this, Josip Šincek spoke out, emphasizing that the proceedings against him are still ongoing and that he is being pre-judged as responsible for this case. He also claimed that other potential sources of pollution in the Lika region are being ignored and called for testing to be extended to other locations.
"Journalists, politicians, or sensationalist headlines cannot decide my guilt or that of my family. Responsibility can only be determined by the competent authorities, based on complete evidence and a legally conducted procedure. I am not fleeing from the investigation or responsibility. I only ask that all facts be established, that both sides be heard, and that the same rules apply to everyone," Šincek stated in his announcement.
In recent days, the case has escalated into one of the biggest political crises for Andrej Plenković's government. After a meeting of the ruling coalition convened due to the Gospić affair, the Prime Minister claimed that those criticizing the government "in the middle of summer" do not wish Croatia well. He called the Gospić case a political, or "politicking," level of the problem, asserting that the opposition is spreading panic with disinformation and creating "hysteria" among citizens.
He told citizens that the water is safe for consumption, but when asked if he could guarantee its safety, he replied that he does not give guarantees but merely relays information from the CIPH. This was followed by numerous sharp reactions, with the opposition demanding political accountability, a vote of confidence in the government, and urgent cleanup of the area.
Zvonimir Troskot from Most spoke about the entire waste management system, emphasizing that the problem is not just administrative errors but that hazardous and infectious waste types are among the dumped materials. The Šincek case has become a much more serious story than a simple illegal landfill: the question now is not only who buried waste in Gospić and elsewhere, but also how it was possible for the system to allow such waste to end up there in the first place.
