Polish Border Guard officers have dismantled an organized criminal group that, in exchange for financial gain, helped foreigners illegally cross the Polish border and remain in the country. Among those arrested are officials from a district labor office in the Mazowieckie region.
The investigation, led by the District Prosecutor's Office in Grójec, has so far resulted in the detention of three individuals. Two senior officials from the labor office have been placed under temporary arrest for three months. Prosecutors have charged them with being part of the criminal organization and enabling illegal border crossings by issuing fraudulent work permits.
Border Guard dismantles criminal group led by Polish government officials
From 2018 to 2024, nearly 12,500 foreign nationals, primarily from Central Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, received documents that allowed them to apply for Polish visas, granting them entry not only to Poland but also to other Schengen Area countries. The criminal group exploited both legitimate and fake employer details to submit false applications for work permits.
Authorities seized over 117,000 PLN (27,306.59 EUR) in cash and three vehicles during searches of the arrested individuals' properties and the district labor office. Investigators also secured critical evidence, including data storage devices and documents that may prove pivotal in the case.
These arrests followed months of investigation by the Border Guard’s operational and investigative unit in Radom, central Poland, which had previously uncovered another criminal network operating within the same labor office.
During searches of the properties occupied by the arrested individuals and the district labor office premises, officers seized data storage devices and documents that could serve as evidence in the case. They also secured over 117,000 PLN (27,306.59 EUR) and three vehicles. Photo: Polish Border Guard
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Source: IAR/PAP/PR24/YouTube.com/@NadwislanskiOddzialSG/nadwislanski.strazgraniczna.pl