The investigation was overseen by the Europol-led Operational Task Force, bringing together law enforcement agencies from Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
A Europol expert supported the operation directly on the ground in Poland, contributing specialized expertise to the collaborative effort.
Between October 14 and 16, the coordinated operation led to the arrest of 11 people, predominantly citizens of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.
The investigation revealed a criminal network that consisted of both Polish nationals and non-EU nationals from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Georgia who were based in Poland and other European countries.
In addition to the arrests, authorities seized electronic equipment and some 80,000 zloty (€18,400) in cash, further weakening the network’s operational capacity, according to Europol.
The investigation revealed a criminal network that consisted of both Polish nationals and non-EU nationals from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Georgia who were based in Poland and other European countries.
The non-EU nationals frequently took the role of drivers, often because their services came at a lower cost compared to EU nationals, Europol reported.
From Middle East to Belarus
The network’s operations targeted migrants predominantly from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, who typically traveled legally to Belarus, either directly or via Russia. Once in Belarus, members of the smuggling network facilitated their illegal crossing into Poland via the Polish-Belarusian border.
In Poland, other members of the network would receive these migrants and transport them by car to various EU destinations, primarily Germany, Europol said.
The network has been linked to smuggling incidents involving around 600 illegal migrants. Each migrant was charged a fee of around €5,000, with some payments made in cryptocurrency.
The government in Warsaw last week unveiled a tough new migration strategy, including temporarily halting asylum for migrants entering Poland via the country’s eastern border with Belarus.
