Karamarko confirmed that the police are on the trail of the killers of Pukanic and Franjić

Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko confirmed that the police are on the trail of the killers of Ivo Pukanic and Niko Franjić, and unofficially it is learned that the police, in an afternoon operation in Draškovićeva, raided five apartments and arrested Robert Matanić and his younger cousin Luka Matanić, Amir Mafalani, and Tomislav Marjanović, as well as the girlfriend of one of the Matanićs.

In breaking news from HRT, when asked if he could confirm that the police are on the trail of the killer, Karamarko said that the investigation was comprehensive and široka, very high quality, that conversations had been conducted with many people, and that something would be known soon. When asked again: "So, you are on the trail of the killer?", Karamarko replied "Well, yes."

"It would be good to follow what the Police Directorate announces, those are always the most accurate and timely information, and I think that something will be known soon," said Minister Karamarko. HTV reported that it is unofficially learned that the police, in an afternoon operation in Draškovićeva, raided 5 apartments and that Robert Matanić and his younger cousin Luka Matanić, Amir Mafalani, and Tomislav Marjanović, as well as the girlfriend of one of the Matanićs, were arrested.

The lawyer for the two Matanićs and Mafalani, Zoran Pilipović, stated this evening for Hina that there is no official confirmation of the arrests and that after the media reported that his clients were arrested, he could not contact them by phone. He said that he received information from Luka Matanić’s family that a search was underway in his apartment and that he spoke by phone with Mafalani at the moment when special police entered his home. Pilipović denied the information published by HTV, which was reported by some portals, that Tomislav Marjanović was among those arrested this evening.

"Marjanović is also my client and he contacted me this evening and said that he is at home and that he does not understand how it could be reported on television that he was arrested," Pilipović told Hina. The head of the Police Directorate’s Office, Krunoslav Borovec, at a press conference held at 7:30 PM, when asked if Robert Matanić had perhaps been detained, refused to speak about the names of those arrested. The news that was reported by the media after the press conference, that there was an arrest in Draškovićeva and that the exits from the city were closed, Borovec did not want to comment, saying by phone to Hina that the police are doing their job and that he said everything at the press conference.

The Matanićs are linked to criminal groups in the Balkans and have previously been detained and accused of being involved in mafia executions. Robert Matanić was extradited to Bulgaria for murders in Sofia; however, due to lack of evidence, he was released. (Hina)