Eight Croatians Face New Child Trafficking Charges in Zambia

Zambian immigration spokesman, Namati Nshinka, revealed today that eight Croatians had been rearrested and would appear in court next Thursday, 16 February, on charges of child trafficking.

The four Croatian couples made headlines earlier this week, when the charges against them were dropped, and orders were given for them to leave Zambia within 48 hours. By the time they arrived at the airport, however, new charges had been made, and they were arrested.

Mr. Nshinka clarified that they had been “detained pending prosecution on reconstituted charges but still related to attempted child trafficking”. He further explained that the alleged victims were four children, aged between one and three, from Congo.

The previous child trafficking charges were dismissed in court on Monday. These charges alleged that the four couples had trafficked children on 7 December 2022; the couples insisted that they had in fact adopted the children, using a lawyer for the paperwork.

The eight Croatians have all been identified. Among them is Zoran Subosic, 52, who is a guitarist in well-known Croatian band ‘Hladno Pivo’, which translates to ‘Cold Beer’. The other seven suspects are: Immovic Subosic, 41, an administrator; Damir Magic, 44, an electrical technician, and wife Nadic Magic, 45, a technician; Ladislav Persic, 42, a doctor, and wife Aleksandra Persic, 45, a hair salon attendant; Noah Kraljevic, a program director, and wife Ivona Kraljevic, a dog handler.

Statements have yet to be made about the whereabouts and welfare of the four children whom the couples claimed they intended to adopt.

All rights to the image belong to AP.