No activity is currently taking place at the former Kukalj quarry site near Benkovac, owned by jeweller Paško Dodić, but remediation has been officially announced to begin in September. It is estimated that the same crew that operated in Gospić transported between 6,500 and 7,000 tonnes of hazardous waste imported from Italy to the area.
The waste consists of mixed materials, predominantly microplastics mixed with heavy metals. Dangerous antimony, a substance similar to arsenic, is also reportedly present, as is medical waste. The waste was unloaded over the past few years, mainly in 2023 and 2024, and was left exposed to wind and rain without any protection.
Tests have shown that heavy metals and dangerous compounds have already penetrated the soil beyond the illegal dump itself, which is located not far from the centre of Benkovac. Most of the waste has been buried, but traces are visible – mainly crushed plastic, remnants of metal parts and construction material. Part of the illegally dumped waste is located in a pit left behind after stone extraction was completed. Access to the quarry is not free, and some journalists and videographers experienced difficulties with a guard when they attempted to film several shots.
USKOK (Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Office) began its investigation several years ago, and in September 2023 placed the Šincek couple (Monika and Josip) and the Dodić family (Paško and Francesca) under surveillance. Arrests followed in February 2025, but Paško Dodić was not listed as a suspect at the time, rather as a witness. He told investigators that he had entered the business with the Šinceks to process the waste into construction material and that he had never dealt with the waste himself.
The investigation was subsequently extended to Paško Dodić, who had lent his quarry near Benkovac to the Šinceks for the transport and burial of waste in the local pit. Mobile phone surveillance revealed connections in the affair, and recorded conversations clearly indicate that they were working together and consciously burying the waste. Benkovac Mayor Tomislav Bulić defended himself by claiming he knew nothing about the matter.
The Kukalj quarry is located in the immediate vicinity of the famous Benkovac Fair, on the other side of the road that separates them. Both the City and the County, citing the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Fund, have announced that remediation will begin in September. In the context of the case, Dunja Gusić is also mentioned; she is a secondary school teacher of Croatian language and literature and the president of the association Vlajternativa, which has organised the eponymous punk and metal festival in Benkovac for 15 years.
