"Croatia is not a producer of narcotics. However, narcotics smuggling, particularly heroin, through the Balkans route to Western Europe remains a serious concern to Croatian authorities," the report said, adding that "Croatian law enforcement bodies cooperate actively with their U.S. and regional counterparts to combat narcotics smuggling".
"The steady increase of narcotics smuggling from the east continued in 2006. Croatian police estimate that 70 to 80 percent of heroin destined for European markets is smuggled through the notorious 'Balkan Route'," said the report.
Describing Croatia's geographical position, the report said it "has a 1,000 km long coastline (4,000 km adding in its 1,001 islands), which presents an attractive target to contraband smugglers seeking to move narcotics into the large European market".
Among the political initiatives taken against drugs in 2006, the report mentioned the National Strategy for Narcotics Abuse Prevention for 2006-2012, the government's Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control for 2006-2009, and changes to the criminal code increasing penalties for narcotics-related offenses.
"Croatia continues to cooperate well with other European states to improve the control and management of its porous borders. Authorities describe cooperation on narcotics enforcement issues with neighboring states as excellent," read the report.
"Croatian police and Customs authorities continued to coordinate counternarcotics efforts on targeted border-crossing points, although with 189 legal border crossing points, there is insufficient staffing and coordination," said the report.
It went on to say that heroin (25 kg in 2005 vs. 80 kg in the first nine months of 2006) and hashish (6 kg in 2005 vs. 12 kg in the first nine months of 2006) seizures increased, while marijuana (428 kg in 2005 vs. 144 kg in the first nine months of 2006) and cocaine seizures (17.6 kg in 2005 vs. 5 kg in 2006) declined, as have amphetamine and Ecstasy seizures.
Police reported 4.7 percent more arrests in 2006 in connection with narcotics charges than in 2005.
Speaking of corruption in 2006, the report said that "police increased efforts to fight corruption internally, resulting in the removal of 630 law enforcement officers".
The report went on to say that the police seized 2,960 cannabis plants last year and that "the authorities believe that given the existence of Ecstasy labs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is inevitable that small-scale labs will be discovered in Croatia".
The report also described the efforts Croatia was investing in drug abuse prevention and treatment of addicts, highlighting Istria County as having the highest rate of treated addicts. "In 2005, 6,688 persons underwent drug addiction treatment -- a 15.6 percent increase from the previous year," the report said, adding that the "number of deaths caused by overdose was slightly lower in 2005 (104 drug-related deaths in 2005 compared to 108 in 2004)".
Methadone is used in the treatment of 67 percent of patients through in-patient detoxification programs, as well as 14 regional outpatient methadone clinics, the report said, adding that in January 2006, the authorities adopted guidelines to change the official health protocol on disbursement of heptanon as a heroin addiction replacement therapy drug in order to counter its growing abuse, which resulted in 20 overdose deaths in 2005.
Speaking of bilateral cooperation, the report said the primary objectives of U.S. initiatives in Croatia -- focused on improving the ability of Croatian law enforcement agencies to work bilaterally and regionally to combat organized crime and narcotics trafficking -- had been achieved. "U.S. assistance for police reform efforts... was refocused on combating organized crime and corruption in 2006."
"Croatian police have been regular participants in training programs at the U.S.-funded International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest as well as follow-on training in Roswell, New Mexico", the report said.
For 2007, U.S. experts will "help Croatian police develop skills in surveillance, management development, port security and port vulnerability assessments. Resident advisors will continue to assist the Ministry of thr Interior in improving police and prosecutor cooperation in complex narcotics and organized crime cases," the report said adding that detection equipment donations planned for 2007 under the EXBS program "will have spin-off benefits for Croatia's fight against narcotics trafficking, particularly in the areas of interagency cooperation and border management".