ZAGREB, June 4,, 2019 - A 31-year-old Serb national who was smuggling 33 migrants on early Tuesday morning crashed into a police roadblock and was hospitalised for serious injuries, while the passengers in the vehicle were not injured, Zagreb police reported.
A little after midnight between Monday and Tuesday the police began to follow a Citroen Jumper van suspecting that it might be transporting illegal migrants. When the police sounded their sirens, the driver of the van sped up, attempted to get away and to run the police vehicle off the road.
The police blockade was set up at the toll gates at Lučko, however, the driver tried to smash through the roadblock and the van crashed into two police vehicles and was stopped.
The police found 33 persons in the van, believed to be illegal migrants who were not injured in the crash. They will be questioned by police to determine their identity and their status while in Croatia.
The van driver was taken to hospital after being seriously injured in the crash. He will be charged with illegal entry, movement and residing in Croatia or any other EU member state or Schengen Area country.
Also, two police cars were damaged in the incident.
Last year the police arrested 620 people traffickers while preliminary figures for this year indicate that by June 1, 344 smugglers were arrested.
More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.
