Interior Minister Davor Božinović stated on Wednesday that it is good that the drug problem is being discussed in the public sphere, commenting on claims by Dubrovnik mayor Mate Franković regarding the prevalence of cocaine consumption in Croatia. Božinović described Franković's estimate that at least 10 per cent of people in every institution consume cocaine as "a bit flippant", but added that he believes the mayor intended to warn about the problem.
According to police data, nearly 12,000 drug seizures were recorded last year. More than 8,000 misdemeanour and nearly 3,000 criminal reports were filed, averaging more than 30 reports per day. Božinović highlighted the statistic that nearly 70 per cent of criminal sentences end with suspended sentences, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics.
The minister emphasised that the police can temporarily remove drugs from the streets, but that the long-term resolution of the drug problem and those who deal in it is not within their jurisdiction, but within the remit of other institutions. "There are more drugs than ever, but the message from society and the state is: what is happening to those who profit from this and poison our youth," Božinović said. He added that there are no tests or psychotests for politicians.
When asked by journalists whether drug testing could be conducted in the Ministry of the Interior, he replied that the Ministry of the Interior is one of the institutions carrying out activities to suppress drugs. Asked whether Franković's statement provides a basis for launching investigations, Božinović answered that the Ministry of the Interior continuously warns about the drug problem and that he himself has been called out multiple times for emphasising that it is a social problem in which all institutions must contribute to the solution.
Ante Vetma, the State Attorney for the Municipal Court in Dubrovnik, confirmed earlier today that the prosecution is conducting inquiries regarding statements made by Dubrovnik mayor Mate Franković at a city council meeting about cocaine consumption in Croatian institutions. Franković had warned about the problem of cocaine consumption as early as last October, and mentioned "trucks of cocaine" again on Saturday at a meeting of the Dubrovnik City Council. He claimed that, according to his estimate, there is no institution in Croatia without at least 10 per cent of consumers, mentioning courts, the State Attorney's Office, the Croatian Parliament and political institutions.
