What was the fine imposed on the passenger?

The passenger was fined 600 euros, and the corals were confiscated.

Is this the first case of coral seizure?

No, in March 2026, the Customs Administration seized 36 corals in a similar case.

Why is the import of corals prohibited without a permit?

Corals from the group Scleractinia spp. are protected under the CITES convention, and their import requires an import permit to prevent uncontrolled removal from nature and smuggling.

Local

Slovenian caught at Zagreb airport with 11 corals

Q: What did the passenger try to bring into Croatia?

He attempted to bring in 11 corals, or coral fragments, with a total weight of about 1.60 kilograms, without the required CITES documentation.

L.M. · Prije 1 dana | 2 min

Customs officers found coral fragments weighing 1.6 kilograms in the passenger's luggage, and he lacked the required CITES documentation.

Summary

Customs officers at Zagreb airport prevented the entry of 11 corals weighing 1.60 kg.
A Slovenian national arrived from Jakarta via Istanbul without CITES documentation.
The passenger was fined 600 euros, and the corals were confiscated.
In March 2026, the Customs Administration seized 36 corals in a similar case.

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Customs officers at Zagreb's Franjo Tuđman International Airport prevented an attempt to illegally bring in 11 corals, or their fragments, with a total weight of about 1.60 kilograms. The passenger, a Slovenian national, arrived in Croatia on August 16, 2026, from Indonesia, specifically from Jakarta via Istanbul, and the unusual contents were discovered during an inspection of his luggage.

According to the Customs Administration, the corals found belong to the group Scleractinia spp., which is listed in Annex B of Regulation (EC) No. 338/97, which regulates the protection of wild fauna and flora through trade controls. To bring such specimens into the country, it is necessary to possess a valid import permit, i.e., CITES documentation, which the passenger did not have.

Fine of 600 euros and confiscation of corals

Due to the committed offense, under Article 41a, Paragraph 1, Item 6 of the Act on Cross-Border Trade in Wild Species, the passenger was fined 600 euros. The corals found were also confiscated, preventing their entry into the European Union.

The CITES system, as the Customs Administration explains, was established to protect endangered and protected species through international trade controls, and to prevent their uncontrolled removal from nature and illegal transport.

Not the first case of coral seizure

This is not the first time customs officers at Zagreb airport have seized corals. In March 2026, the Customs Administration confiscated as many as 36 corals in a similar case, showing that this is a recurring problem of illegal imports of protected species from tropical destinations.

Dnevnik.hr reports that the Slovenian national was found with 'almost two kilos of corals,' while the Customs Administration specifies the weight as 1.60 kilograms. A photo of the confiscated corals was published by the Ministry of Finance's Customs Administration.