Criminal investigators carried out an effective operation on Thursday, 14 May, targeting the illegal trade in tobacco products. Police findings indicated that cigarettes from an illegal source could be located on one of the properties in Lubań County.
For some time, officers monitored the property in question. During the operation, they noticed a man who was believed to be connected with the illegal activity. They decided to search the property.
During a search of a utility room located in the attic of the building, the officers found 56 cartons filled with cigarettes of various brands without Polish excise stamps.
The 46-year-old property owner was detained and taken to the Lubań police station.
Nearly 600,000 cigarettes were secured in total. Investigators emphasize that if the goods had entered illegal circulation, losses to the State Treasury could have exceeded one million złoty due to unpaid taxes and excise duties.
The man was charged and confessed to the crime. Under the provisions of the Fiscal Penal Code, he faces a heavy fine and possibly imprisonment. The court will decide his further fate.
Police emphasize that combating the illegal trade in tobacco products remains one of the services' priorities. Officers also point out that cigarettes from illegal sources often meet no quality or safety standards, and their sale causes enormous losses to the state budget.