Eight persons arrested in a police investigation into customs and border police officers, suspected of involvement in more than a hundred corruption-related crimes, were remanded in investigative custody for a month on Thursday, officials at the Zagreb County Court said.
Investigating judge Jadranka Mandusic granted the motion by the anti-corruption investigative agency USKOK that the suspects be placed in custody due to the risk of witness tampering or possible repetition of crimes, court spokesman Kresimir Devcic told press.
Six suspects, including the alleged "mastermind of the criminal enterprise", Milan Galac of Zabok, will be remanded in custody both due to the risk of witness tampering and possible repetition of crimes, one suspect was remanded in custody due to the risk of witness tampering, and one due to the risk that he could repeat the crime he was suspected of, said Devcic.
Earlier in the day, USKOK said that its investigation covered 57 persons, suspected of a number of criminal acts - from conspiracy to commit crime, abuse of powers and bribery to forgery of official documents and incitement to commit those crimes.
Apart from 16 customs officers, six police officers, and one state inspector, the suspects include persons who bribed customs officers so they would let them import commodities into Croatia without paying customs duties.
A statement released on USKOK's web site did not reveal the identity of the suspects or the amount of which they have defrauded the state budget.
The crimes were mostly committed in Krapina-Zagorje County and some were committed in Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Zagreb counties.
