THE CRIMINAL GROUP TRADED SMUGGLED CIGARETTES FROM UKRAINE IN POLAND AND ITALY.

Polish border guards stopped the illegal activities of a Polish criminal group that traded smuggled goods from Ukraine in Poland and Italy. It is reported by Upmp.news with the reference to Polish Radio.

Employees of the Border Guard Service of Poland stopped the illegal activities of a criminal group that bought up smuggled cigarettes from Ukraine and sold them in Poland and Italy. Six suspected Poles, including the possible organizer of the group, were detained.

The spokesman of the Beskidy Division of the Polish Border Guard Major Elzbieta Picor informed that the organized criminal group acted on the territory of Podkarpackie, Lower Silesian and Lodz voivodships. The possible leader was a 57-year-old resident of Lubaczów County of Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

“The group bought up smuggled cigarettes from Ukraine without Polish excise taxes. The group members kept them in apartments and business premises in the border area and then transported illegal goods by specially organized and developed distribution network throughout Poland, mainly in Lower Silesia and Lodz regions, as well as in Italy,” Major Picor reported.

Six Poles are accused of participating in an organized criminal group and one of them in organizing such group. Everyone admitted the charges made.

According to Picor, from February until the end of 2017 the criminal group has illegally trafficked at least 131.5 thousand packs of cigarettes worth more than 2.2 million zlotys.