The offenses of which Irena W. was accused took place between October 2016 and April 2018 in the Bogatynia municipality and other locations in Lower Silesia. (Earlier, the defendant’s husband had been remanded in custody and was subsequently sentenced to imprisonment—including for possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.)

Before long, Irena W. decided to take over her husband’s criminal activity and contacted his former business partners.

The investigation conducted by the Jelenia Góra District Prosecutor’s Office and officers from the Katowice branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police established, among other things, that from October 2016 Irena W. acquired precursors for psychotropic substances from an identified person, namely:

  • 75 kilograms of pseudoephedrine-containing tablets
  • 10 kg of red phosphorus
  • 10 kg of iodine.

She then sold them to Czech citizens. In this way, W. helped other people manufacture significant quantities of methamphetamine.

She knew what the substances she sold would be used for. During the period covered by the charges, she purchased drug-production precursors for 1,500,000 Czech korunas, equivalent to PLN 245,400, and then sold them for this purpose to identified Czech citizens for a total of 1,750,000 Czech korunas, equivalent to PLN 286,300.

Furthermore, in 2017 Irena W. rented her basement to a Czech citizen, who manufactured methamphetamine there. (She was to receive PLN 3,260 for this.)

Irena W., jointly and in agreement with other people, was also involved in distributing a significant quantity of the psychotropic substance methamphetamine—no less than 13 kg in total—for 6,500,000 Czech korunas, from which she obtained the equivalent of PLN 166,400 for herself.

The scheme also involved, among others, Irena W.’s daughter, who was 16 at the time. When customers came to the apartment to buy drugs while the suspect was away, the defendant instructed her daughter by telephone where the substances were hidden and which substances she was to hand over to them, as well as how much money she was to collect from them.

There were at least 15 instances in which Irena W. induced her underage daughter to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine. As a result, no less than 800 g of the substance was put into circulation, worth PLN 64,000.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Irena W. made the commission of these offenses a permanent source of income. At the 37-year-old woman’s property, officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police found psychotropic substances belonging to her, totaling nearly 13 grams.

Property was also secured from the suspect by seizing PLN 7,800 and 16,000 Czech korunas, together worth PLN 10,355.57, as well as two passenger cars with a combined value of PLN 41,000.

Irena W., who has remained in pretrial detention since April, faces up to 15 years in prison.