The investigation concerns the operations of an organized criminal group whose members failed to pay taxes on trade in excise goods—mainly tobacco. – The findings indicate that the tobacco was brought to Germany from Bulgaria and then smuggled into Poland, where it ended up in illegal tobacco-cutting facilities and cigarette factories. The excise-duty gang operated in Lubusz and Lower Silesian Voivodeships, as well as in Germany – reports Agnieszka Rzeźnicka-Gniadek, spokesperson for the Lower Silesian KAS.
She adds: – On the basis of the collected evidence, officers detained five people, including a police officer and a businessman. During the operation, tens of thousands of cigarettes of various brands without Polish excise stamps, as well as packaging bearing protected trademarks, were seized.
Two luxury cars worth approximately PLN 500,000, more than PLN 17,000 in cash and two cryptocurrency mining rigs were seized to cover potential future penalties and fines. (The value of the digital assets is still being estimated.)
This time, the joint operation by officers from KAS, CBŚP and the Police Internal Affairs Bureau was carried out in Lower Silesian and Lubusz Voivodeships. It was estimated that the State Treasury would have lost nearly PLN 200 million as a result of the scheme. The group operated from 2019 until mid-2021.
The detainees were charged with participation in an organized criminal group, while two people were accused of leading it. The detainees also face liability for fiscal and criminal offenses. The spokesperson said: – By court decision, all the detainees were remanded in custody for three months.
She added:
The case is being investigated by prosecutors from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Wrocław together with the Lower Silesian Customs and Tax Office in Wrocław, the CBŚP Wrocław Board and the Police Internal Affairs Bureau.