Darko Grivičić arrested for suspected illegal hunting

Darko Grivičić, the former president of the Croatian Agricultural Chamber (HPK), has been arrested on suspicion of illegal hunting and fishing. According to the Brod-Posavina Police Administration, the 55-year-old was caught in the Stara Gradiška municipality on October 1, using a hunting weapon without authorization to kill wildlife located in an illegally placed metal trap.

Police also reported that Grivičić was transporting a weapon with a loaded magazine and did not possess a valid weapon permit. He has been detained, and his weapons and ammunition have been temporarily seized. Criminal charges have been filed with the Municipal State Prosecutor's Office in Slavonski Brod, along with a proposal for misdemeanor charges regarding the possession of weapons.

The Croatian Agricultural Chamber confirmed Grivičić's identity and issued a statement expressing regret over the arrest while simultaneously criticizing the state's failure to protect farmers. HPK President Željko Mihelić stated that while the Chamber does not justify breaking the law, they understand the frustration of farmers who face massive crop destruction from wild boar. The Chamber noted that Grivičić's own family had previously reported significant losses due to wildlife, and they continue to call for legislative changes to better protect agricultural production.