In an intensified navigation safety inspection in the Split-Dalmatia County area, 67 violations were sanctioned, while in Šibenik two stolen speedboats worth €220,000 were found.
Police officers conducted an intensified navigation safety inspection in the Split-Dalmatia County area from July 27 to August 3, 2026. The results of the operation reveal a concerning picture of disregard for maritime regulations, with a total of 67 sanctioned violations.
As many as 24 individuals were fined for illegal speeding, making it the most common violation in this operation. There were also nine incidents of anchoring in prohibited locations, along with two cases where vessels were moored to vegetation. Four individuals were sanctioned for overloading their vessels, and eight did not have insurance policies on them.
Additionally, four vessel operators lacked certificates of competency for operating a boat, and in three situations, vessels were operated by individuals without a valid license. Two individuals were fined for renting out or handing over control of vessels to persons without the appropriate permit.
A particularly dangerous case was recorded on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at around 11:40 PM in the waters near Vrboska on the island of Hvar. Officers spotted a vessel speeding without its navigation lights on radar and then ordered it to stop using light and sound signals.
It was determined that the vessel was operated by a 20-year-old Croatian citizen. A breathalyzer test measured a blood alcohol concentration of 1.41 per mille, and a preliminary test also indicated the presence of marijuana in his system. Officers also confiscated cocaine from him. Due to suspicion of two violations under the Maritime Code and one under the Law on Combating Drug Abuse, he was issued a seven-day ban on operating a vessel and remained at the police station until the effects of the intoxicants wore off.
In a separate operation, the Šibenik police found two expensive speedboats stolen in Sweden in 2023 and 2025 on July 30, 2026, in the Šibenik area. The total value of the vessels is estimated at around €220,000, and an inspection revealed that the markings on both speedboats had been forged.
The operation involved officers from the Šibenik-Knin and Split-Dalmatia counties, as well as the Police Directorate. The Police Directorate emphasized that the officers acquired the knowledge that helped them find the vessels at an international course on vessel theft, held in May 2026 in Split. The course, which has been conducted since 2020, is organized by FRONTEX and hosted by the Police Directorate.
The three-day training was attended by police officers from several European Union countries, while Croatia was represented by members of the police, customs, and harbor master's office. Specialized German police officers for vessel theft and FRONTEX instructors delivered the training.
"The most important message conveyed in the training proved accurate in finding the two speedboats, and that is continuous international cooperation. Not only the knowledge but also the contacts made during the training significantly contributed to resolving the Šibenik case, certainly the first in a series," the Police Directorate stated.
