Over 100 foreigners worked illegally as taxi drivers in Zagreb

(Illustration)

A major police operation has exposed a large-scale scheme involving fake work and residence permits used to employ foreign nationals as taxi drivers in Zagreb, daily 24sata reports.

The investigation, led by criminal police and labour inspectors, revealed that a 33-year-old Croatian man used forged documents to employ over 100 workers from countries including India, Nepal, Turkey, North Macedonia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

According to police, the suspect ran a company based in Zagreb and, between March 2024 and January 2025, obtained at least 130 counterfeit public documents – including work and residence permits.

He reportedly uploaded these fake permits to digital driver platforms, allowing foreign nationals to unknowingly work illegally as taxi drivers.

The investigation further uncovered that these individuals were not officially registered with the Croatian pension and health insurance systems.

At least 50 workers were denied their legal rights to social security.

Labour inspectors from the State Inspectorate conducted 15 inspections between January 2024 and April 2025. They uncovered 19 violations, including failure to register employees for mandatory insurance and employing foreign nationals without valid permits.

As a result, several legal actions were taken, including three charges filed with the competent court, one offence order issued to the employer, and seven issued to the foreign workers involved.

Authorities also ordered the employer to register unreported workers and make the necessary contributions to the state budget.

The suspect has been handed over to the custody supervisor of the Zagreb Police Department, along with a criminal complaint.