Defence Minister Mario Banozic and the Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff, Admiral Robert Hranj, said on Friday that five cases of cocaine abuse identified among members of the Croatian Army were an isolated incident that harmed the army's reputation.

Addressing reporters after a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Armed Forces Main Staff, Banozic stressed that those were isolated cases, that the Croatian Army was an honourable army but that individual incidents were likely to happen considering the large number of soldiers.

He said that it was up to the ministry and the Main Staff to identify such cases on time and demonstrate zero tolerance to drug abuse or abuse of any other illegal substance.

Banozic noted that army members had been and would continue to be tested for drugs, that the two servicemen, who had been caught using drugs, had been suspended and that three more were facing proceedings.

Hranj: Our efforts to fight drug abuse will never stop

The Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff, Admiral Robert Hranj, said that the cases in question were isolated but that such conduct was unacceptable, notably in the army branches such as the military police, special forces, and the Honour Guard Battalion.

“I will do my best to try and eradicate such conduct as much as realistically possible, such things will continue to exist but so will our efforts to fight them,” he said.

President Zoran Milanovic, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, also commented on the incidents, describing them as an isolated yet concerning. However, he added he would not demand that the entire unit where cocaine was found be tested.

According to media reports, in the past two and a half months, cocaine was found on five members of the Special Forces Command.