A civilian posing as a police officer took part in official police operations at Slovenia’s Brnik Airport for around 18 months, exposing serious failures within the country’s police system. The fake police officer in Slovenia participated in at least 16 official procedures between April 2024 and September 2025 and was able to enter restricted areas where confidential information was processed.
An extraordinary inspection found a series of professional mistakes, missed opportunities and systemic weaknesses that allowed the man to operate alongside real police officers. The report, which runs for more than 50 pages, concluded that the failures could have enabled unauthorized access to secured areas and potentially endangered aviation security, police operations and officers themselves.
Police Had Information Before He Was Arrested
The first information that a man was posing as a police officer, exercising police powers and carrying a weapon was entered into police records on September 30, 2025. The information was assessed as credible, but because of its sensitive nature it was available only to a limited number of officers.
Despite that warning, no internal-security procedure was launched and senior criminal-police officials who could have ordered additional checks were not informed. Police superiors received another warning about the man on October 9, but he continued operating for several more days.
He was finally identified on October 15 at the Brnik Airport police station after officers noticed him in photographs taken during an accident at the airport. The images showed him participating in securing the scene despite having no authority to perform police duties.
He was then arrested while wearing clothing resembling a police uniform. Officers found a forged police identification card, a gas pistol and a notebook in which he had recorded his activities.
The notebook revealed that the fake police officer in Slovenia had participated in at least 16 official police procedures between April 2024 and September 2025. He had also moved through the administrative section of the police station, an area with restricted access because confidential information was handled there.
The man had previously worked as a security guard at the airport, which meant he was familiar with the facilities, police officers and their working procedures. He presented himself to officers as an auxiliary police officer and had purchased equipment through the online marketplace Bolha, although parts of it differed from equipment used by actual Slovenian police officers.
He had also applied twice for police employment and police training but had not been accepted. Despite this, he later managed to operate within the police environment and participate in official activities.
Investigation Finds Further Failures After His Arrest
The extraordinary inspection found irregularities even after the man was detained. His deprivation of liberty was not carried out on an appropriate legal basis, while documentation connected with the case was not completed correctly.
No search of his home was conducted and his electronic devices were not seized following decisions involving the duty officer at the Kranj Police Directorate, the Specialized State Prosecutor’s Office and the Kranj district prosecutor. The inspection identified this as another failure that limited the collection of possible evidence.
The Specialized State Prosecutor’s Office took over the case only on November 5, while the Kranj Police Directorate submitted the documentation nine days later. The inspection team also classified this delay as an irregularity.
The case also resulted in disciplinary consequences for police officers. An officer found to have cooperated with the fake policeman received a warning before dismissal and was later fired in March over a separate matter involving a false explanation for damage to an official vehicle.
Brnik Airport Police Station commander Jure Lešnjak and several other officers also received warnings before dismissal, although Lešnjak remained in his position. Acting Police Director General Daniel Lorbek later replaced Kranj Police Directorate chief Uroš Povalej and implemented measures proposed in the final inspection report.
Police said Povalej’s replacement was not directly connected to the fake-officer case but was primarily intended to improve the organization and functioning of the police directorate.
The Interior Ministry proposed introducing safer and more efficient systems for processing operational information, handling criminal offenses and conducting internal-security procedures. It also proposed measures aimed at preventing or reducing the resale of police equipment on the market.
The Specialized State Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that prosecutorial decisions had been made concerning one police officer and the man who posed as a police officer. The exact nature of those decisions has not been disclosed.
