Mafia Poisoned Lika: 40,000 Tons of Carcinogenic Waste
State leadership ignored alarming findings about heavy metals in the heart of Gospić for months, and now threatening rains could push the poison even deeper into Lika's soil.
State leadership ignored alarming findings about heavy metals in the heart of Gospić for months, and now threatening rains could push the poison even deeper into Lika's soil.
Croatia's state apparatus is facing an unprecedented threat. The smuggling and illegal dumping of as much as 40,000 tons of hazardous, carcinogenic waste in Gospić has escalated from an environmental incident into a matter of national security, exposing the complete helplessness and unpreparedness of the state to respond to the crisis.
According to information obtained by Večernji list, the state leadership has had access to alarming data confirming the presence of a whole group of toxic substances and metals with proven carcinogenic effects on the local population for at least a year, and likely longer. Despite this, not a single kilogram of this hazardous material has been removed from Gospić until the publication of the article on August 9, 2026.
This inertia is particularly concerning given the upcoming weather conditions. There is a real danger that heavier rains could push the toxins deeper into Lika's soil, causing long-term and potentially irreversible damage to the environment and public health in the area.
The scale of the crisis is so serious that the need for urgent engagement of Branko Bačić, a former special forces member whose name has emerged as a potential asset in tackling this extraordinary threat, is being mentioned. The situation is described as a fundamental crisis that requires the declaration of a state of emergency within state bodies to finally initiate a resolution.
The fact that the mafia managed to bring smuggled poisons so close to Lika's urban center, without any timely and adequate response from the competent institutions, raises serious questions about the state's capacity to protect its citizens from hybrid threats that go beyond the scope of classical crime.
MP Dalija Orešković raised questions about the potential consequences of pollution in Lika as early as April 23, 2025, during the parliamentary question time, as she reminded in a video posted on her Facebook profile. In it, she directly linked the HDZ to responsibility for the state of institutions that should protect the public interest, stating: "Today, the media report that the mafia has threatened national security through the smuggling of poisons. That is true. However, what is missing is the conclusion that the HDZ is that mafia threatening us."
Orešković noted that the video was made at a time when the government was facing questions about the pollution of Lika with so-called "forever chemicals," also linking the case to her earlier criticisms of the functioning of the healthcare system and private interests in healthcare. She argued that such occurrences are possible because anti-corruption institutions have been weakened during the mandate of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, specifically calling out the Commission for the Resolution of Conflicts of Interest and the DORH, which she claims no longer act independently and in accordance with the law.
"The poisoning with forever chemicals and heavy metals in illegal waste, and the enrichment of private clinics through treating an increased number of oncology patients, along with the destruction of the capacity of state institutions and bodies to do their job in protecting the public interest and citizens, are the true face and reverse of HDZ policy," the MP wrote. She added that continued voter support for the ruling party after this case would constitute "betrayal," and concluded: "This video also reminded me of why the HDZ is happy that I no longer have a parliamentary club. Precisely so that I no longer have the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister such questions. As I have shown countless times, I will find a way."
Her post came after USKOK, due to great public interest, published the findings and supplement of the environmental expert assessment for the industrial complex in Bilajska Street in Gospić, one of the locations covered by the investigation into illegal waste dumping.
