The Croatian police joined forces with police from several countries to conduct a large operation targeting the exploitation of children in eight countries. The operation led to the identification of 39 child abusers and the rescue of two victims. The police conducted nine searches in Croatia and seized over 50 digital storage devices. One suspect was arrested, while others are under investigation. The suspects face seven charges of exploiting children for pornography.
In addition to Croatian law enforcement, police from Slovenia, Hungary, and other countries participated in the operation. Europol helped exchange information between all involved countries, establishing a network of experts and strengthening cross-border cooperation in combating child sexual abuse.
The “Mosaic” operation aimed to arrest individuals using online forums and messaging applications to distribute material related to child sexual abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary. In total, 41 raids were conducted, resulting in the seizure of over 200 items depicting child sexual abuse. While one arrest was made in Croatia, four individuals were arrested in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The results of the “Mosaic” operation were announced on World Children’s Day. According to police officer Valerija Golubić, around 300 cases of child exploitation for pornography are reported in Croatia every year, with an annual increase ranging from 20 to 50 percent. She advised parents to monitor their children’s internet activity carefully.
Croatian law enforcement has been active in combatting online child exploitation in recent years, participating in various operations to break up pedophile internet chains, such as “Nubus” in 2021, which resulted in 46 reported suspects.