At the request of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Jelenia Góra, officers arrested 8 people suspected of operating in an organized criminal group in Zgorzelec County and other locations in Lower Silesia. The group dealt in cigarettes and tobacco without Polish excise stamps. During the operation, officers of the Customs and Tax Service, the Border Guard and the Police discovered illegal cigarettes of various brands and tobacco. They also seized psychotropic substances: nearly 1 kg of methamphetamine, ecstasy tablets, cocaine and 6 kg of tablets containing pseudoephedrine.
The authorities seized the suspects’ property—cash, vehicles and other items worth approximately PLN 1.15 million.
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8 people arrested and charged
The prosecutor charged those arrested with participation in an organized criminal group; 3 of them were also charged with possessing significant quantities of psychotropic substances. All those arrested were additionally charged under the Fiscal Penal Code. Preventive measures were imposed on 5 suspects, including bail ranging from PLN 15,000 to PLN 50,000, police supervision and a travel ban.
The suspects are men aged between 24 and 43. Some of them had previously been convicted of similar crimes. They face up to 10 years in prison.
Summary of the operation
The group’s activities may have exposed the State Treasury to losses of more than PLN 7 million in VAT and excise duty. Several dozen officers of the Customs and Tax Service from the Lower Silesian and Łódź KAS, the Border Guard Post in Zgorzelec and the Zgorzelec Police took part in the operation. Activities were also carried out in Germany by officers of the Dresden Customs Office.