Moroccan hairdresser gets 4 years in prison for smuggling 18 migrants
A Zagreb municipal court has handed a non-final sentence to a 29-year-old who fled police with a van full of migrants near Zaprešić in December 2025, then attacked officers.
A Zagreb municipal court has handed a non-final sentence to a 29-year-old who fled police with a van full of migrants near Zaprešić in December 2025, then attacked officers.
Zagreb's Municipal Court has issued a non-final verdict finding H. E., a 29-year-old Moroccan national, guilty. He received a four-year prison sentence for smuggling 18 migrants without permits and assaulting a police officer. In addition to serving time, he must forfeit the 880 euros he earned from criminal activity, and his white Opel Vivaro with Bosnian plates becomes the property of Croatia, as reported by Jutarnji list.
The defendant rejected the charges, citing fear, panic, and a lack of language skills. "I'm not guilty of what I'm accused of. That day, I had no intention of putting anyone in danger, nor did I intend to attack police officers, let alone prevent them from doing their job. I was in great fear and panic. I don't speak Croatian, and in that situation, I wasn't aware of anything happening, nor what was being asked of me," the Moroccan hairdresser said in his defense.
He added that no traffic expert analysis was conducted during the trial to objectively determine his vehicle's speed or the force of the impact with the tree. "This case ultimately relies solely on police assessments without expert analysis, so it cannot be concluded that a crime occurred," H. E. argued, describing his arrest as a panic reaction after which officers threw him to the ground. He also noted that he voluntarily stopped at a gas station and bought water for everyone, even though they didn't ask.
The police operation began on December 1, 2025, around 3 p.m. at the Lučko toll booths on Jadranska Avenue, when plainclothes officers spotted a heavily loaded vehicle. The driver ignored light and sound signals and the "STOP" sign near the Westgate shopping center, broke through an HAC barrier, and then engaged in a dangerous drive toward Zaprešić. He reached speeds of up to 120 km/h, overtook a line of five vehicles on Kalamirova Street, and eventually crashed into a tree.
Before the crash, he jumped out of the moving car and fled toward the woods, with officers catching up after about 200 meters. During the arrest, he put up fierce resistance, kicking and punching the officers. The police stated that he first kicked one officer in the leg, then kicked another, who tried to grab his right arm, in the groin and punched him in the chest. He was arrested 15 minutes after they first spotted his vehicle in traffic.
A search of the vehicle revealed 18 migrants, distributed across three rows of seats and the cargo area. "Two men organized our transport from a camp in Croatia. The 18 of us were arranged in the car. I entered Croatia on December 1, bypassing border crossings. Two guides were with us; they met the white van and put us inside," one migrant told investigators.
A migrant from Sudan described how, due to the dire situation in his homeland, he headed to Turkey, where he paid 200 euros to reach Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then in a camp in Bihać was promised entry into Croatia for 600 euros. Another, an Egyptian, said his goal was to reach Italy, having paid 4,000 euros for part of the journey to Greece and then an additional 2,000 euros to get to Slovenia. "In the van, we sat on seats, but piled on top of each other because there were so many of us. I saw the driver for the first time only when he was arrested," the Egyptian described.
The court ultimately did not accept the Moroccan defendant's defense. Mitigating circumstances included his young age and lack of prior convictions, while aggravating factors were the internationally organized nature of the crime, the fact that he received the vehicle from the organizers, the dangerous driving that endangered passengers' lives, and his resistance and assault on police officers. H. E. awaits the final verdict in detention at Remetinec, where he has already spent nine months.
