240 tons of tobacco and 2.5 million cigarettes – an indictment against an organized criminal group

An indictment was filed with the District Court in Katowice against an organized criminal group for committing crimes and fiscal crimes consisting in the production and trade of tobacco and cigarettes, making it a permanent source of income. This is the result of an investigation conducted by officers from the Border Guard Post in Kłodzko under the supervision of the Silesian Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice.

In total, 8 people were detained: 7 Poles – residents of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and a Latvian citizen. Two men were placed under temporary arrest, while the remaining men were given preventive measures in the form of property bails in the total amount of PLN 70,000, a ban on leaving the country and police supervision. In addition, the detained Latvian used forged documents issued in the name of another person.

During the course of the case, it was established that the organised crime group had been operating for about four years, mainly in Poland, including the Kłodzko district, dealing with intra-Community acquisition of excise goods in the form of dried tobacco and trade in dried tobacco and cigarettes. The detainees were also involved in the production of cut tobacco and cigarettes without excise stamps.

During its operations, the group imported nearly 100 tons of dried tobacco to Poland, and illegally obtained another 20 tons in Poland. It produced another 120 tons of smoking tobacco for resale. Additionally, group members introduced nearly 2.5 million cigarettes into circulation.

By their actions, the perpetrators exposed the State Treasury to losses of over PLN 130 million.