Customs officers from the Mobile Units Service of the Dubrovnik Regional Unit of the Croatian Border Police intercepted an attempt to smuggle protected bird species at the Nova Sela border crossing with Bosnia.

The incident involved an Italian national driving a vehicle with Italian license plates. During an inspection, officers discovered 18 specimens of Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), weighing 5.70 kilograms, concealed in a portable cooler positioned behind the passenger seat. This was confirmed in a statement issued by the Customs Administration of the Republic of Croatia.

For breaching the EU Customs Code Implementation Act, the offender was fined €1,500.

The individual paid two-thirds of the fine immediately, while the confiscated birds were seized, and a certificate of temporary seizure was issued.