Rising crime among foreigners: Is Poland losing control?

According to 2026 data, crime among foreigners in Poland is rising, and citizens wanted by Interpol red notices and organized criminal groups known as "thieves-in-law" are being detected in the country more frequently. 1. In 2026, the National Police Headquarters recorded an 18 percent increase in the number of detentions of foreigners compared to 2025. 2. The highest activity of "thieves-in-law" criminal groups was registered in Warsaw and Krakow, while 3. Border Guard officers detained 142 people wanted by Interpol red notices this year, which confirms Poland's changing status from a transit country to a final destination for wanted criminals. Reports published since February 2026 by law enforcement agencies indicate that existing methods of combating international crime require urgent updates, as the pace at which the threat structure is changing is outpacing the current operational capabilities of the services.

Specifics of threats: "thieves-in-law" and cybercrime

The structure of foreign crime in Poland has recently undergone clear specialization, which poses new challenges for the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police (CBŚP). At the top of the hierarchy are "thieves-in-law" groups, or so-called "vory v zakone". Their activity, widely commented on in March 2026, means the importing of rigid, Eastern criminal structures into Poland. These are not random groups, but highly formalized organizations that engage in extortion, control of illegal markets, and criminal logistics. In Warsaw and Krakow, these groups build their influence through brutal debt collection and by taking control of the venue security and transport sectors, where many immigrants find employment.

The second category consists of specialized cybercriminal groups. Data from March 2025 indicated that nationalities other than the most frequently mentioned Georgian gangs are leading in this sector. Their operating model is based on professional attacks on digital infrastructure, often carried out from secure operational bases established within the country. This is a group that operates in the shadows, avoiding direct confrontation with the police, which makes it particularly difficult to detect for units dealing with traditional crime. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in electronic banking systems and offer money laundering services, which makes them essential partners for groups operating in the "real world."

The third group is made up of people wanted by Interpol red notices. May 2026 brought a wave of arrests that revealed that Poland has ceased to be merely a transit zone for them. Instead of quickly leaving the country, criminals wanted for serious crimes in their home countries treat Poland as a destination point. They exploit loopholes in the migration control system to blend into the crowd, which in practice means that people with sentences or arrest warrants issued by international tribunals are operating in Polish cities. Each detention of such a person is a success, but also a signal of the massive scale of the problem that Border Guard officers are facing.

The "safe haven" mechanism and systemic loopholes

The transition from a transit country status to a destination point for foreign criminals is a fact that services have been analyzing since mid-2024. At that time, "Rzeczpospolita" warned that a growing number of foreigners staying in Poland without legal status remain beyond any control. This gray area forms the foundation for the development of organized crime. A person who does not exist in official registers is an ideal tool for gangs. The lack of a central system that would integrate data on foreigners in real time means that people staying in Poland illegally remain off the radar of law enforcement agencies for a long time.

Investigative services, including the Border Guard and specialized CBŚP units, operate in a reactive system. The problem is that the control infrastructure cannot keep up with the pace of the influx of people who do not have valid documents. The lack of fluid data exchange between countries of origin and Polish offices means that a criminal with an Interpol red notice can rent an apartment for months, work illegally, and be completely invisible to the police. When an arrest occurs, it often turns out that the person had been building their influence in Poland for a long time, infiltrating local business circles. This suggests that the current verification system for newcomers has loopholes that are systematically exploited by criminal groups. This is not about simple traffic offenses or petty theft, but about organizing networks that bring standards from countries with higher levels of corruption and criminal brutality to Polish streets.

Professionalization of Eastern gangs and market control

Reports from March 25, 2026, about increased activity of "thieves-in-law" groups are a warning signal. These structures are characterized by almost military discipline and a code that excludes cooperation with law enforcement. Their entry into the Polish market means displacing local criminal groups or imposing new rules of the game on them. Unlike hackers or those wanted for financial crimes, Eastern gangs base their power on direct physical threats. They exploit loopholes in the oversight of service markets, such as transport, security, or construction, where foreigners make up a significant percentage of the workforce.

By taking control of these sectors, these groups become invisible market regulators, collecting tribute from other newcomers under the guise of fees for "ensuring safety" or "mediation." The police are noting more and more cases in which other foreigners become victims of these groups. Thanks to this, these crimes often do not make it into the statistics because the victims are afraid to report the matter to the police, fearing deportation or revenge from the gang. This phenomenon creates a closed circuit in which the Polish state loses control over what is happening within individual diasporas. Public safety is no longer just a local issue. The globalization of crime means that conflicts from distant regions of the world translate into real risks in Polish cities. A Polish citizen should be aware that behind the facade of legal activity, there may be structures that do not recognize Polish law, and the lack of effective selection of newcomers is becoming the greatest burden on the stability of the state.

The other side of the coin: Immigrants as entrepreneurs

One cannot equate organized crime with the entire community of foreigners in Poland. The picture of immigration in Poland is complicated, and a reliable analysis requires comparing disturbing criminal data with the economic contribution of thousands of legally operating newcomers. Memories from October 2023, when the media described the stories of enterprising migrants, show the other side of the coin. People who arrived with the intention of building their capital through honest work, often working from dawn to dusk, are the group most harmed by rising crime. For them, the presence of "thieves-in-law" type gangs is not only a security threat but also destroys the reputation of their entire community.

The Polish economy largely relies on the work of foreigners. In sectors such as logistics, manufacturing, or modern business services, their presence is simply essential. Tourism, which was written about in September 2023, also benefits from the country's openness. Foreigners appreciate Poland for its competitiveness and safety. However, if the state fails to effectively eliminate criminal elements, all this openness may be undermined, and social trust – crucial for the functioning of the country – will permanently deteriorate. A key challenge for the government is to create mechanisms that will allow for the rapid identification of individuals associated with criminal groups while supporting honest entrepreneurs. The current polarization, where on one hand we have the development of the service sector, and on the other – the rise of the threat of international crime, requires services to move away from reactive actions toward proactive monitoring of environments where gang members are recruited.

The situation requires a thorough restructuring of the system for verifying people entering and staying in the country, as well as better cooperation with international law enforcement agencies. This is not a problem that can be solved with ad-hoc police actions. Poland must stop being an attractive place for people who are fleeing justice. If Polish services are unable to catch people wanted by Interpol faster, this country will remain a "safe haven" for organized crime, which in the long run will lead to the erosion of internal security. The state faces a choice: either it will tighten the control system, risking bureaucratic slowing of the economy, or it will allow further infiltration by criminal groups, which may prove to be much more costly in its consequences.

Questions and answers

Is every foreigner in Poland a potential threat?

Absolutely not. Statistics show that the problem concerns isolated criminal groups, while the majority of immigrants work legally and run businesses, contributing to the country's economic development.

Why is detecting illegal stay so difficult?

As follows from analyses published since 2024, the lack of a central system that would integrate data on foreigners in real time means that people staying in Poland illegally remain off the radar of law enforcement agencies for a long time.

Which criminal groups currently pose the greatest challenge?

In 2026, the biggest challenge is organized "thieves-in-law" structures and specialized cybercriminal groups that operate professionally, exploiting loopholes in the legal and technological system.

Is the situation improving or worsening?

Data from 2026 indicate an increase in criminal activity, which confirms that the current state of affairs is a challenge for internal security, requiring immediate remedial actions from the state.

Analyzing the development of the situation, it must be noted that Polish law enforcement agencies are at a turning point. On one hand, the pressure for rapid verification of people crossing borders is growing along with the number of work and residence applications. On the other, criminal groups, especially those of a transnational nature, exploit every loophole in Polish law. An example is the activity of Eastern groups, which not only operate in the shadows but are increasingly taking control of entire segments of the labor market, eliminating fair competition. This phenomenon destroys the market and trust, which will take years to rebuild.

Police officers from organized crime departments admit unofficially that the number of cases involving foreigners has increased exponentially. Some of these cases concern financial crimes, which are extremely difficult to prove without the support of international intelligence agencies. The detection of 142 people with an Interpol red notice is only the tip of the iceberg. Each of these people had a network of contacts that helped them hide from justice for many months. This shows that Poland has an extensive support infrastructure for criminals, even if it is created unknowingly by third parties.

It is necessary to redefine internal security policy. This is not about xenophobia, but about the hard logic of an efficient state that must know who is on its territory. Without the centralization of data on foreigners, without better cooperation with neighboring countries, and without increasing spending on cybersecurity, Poland may become a hub of crime in Central Europe. This is a challenge that will define future elections and the government's policy directions in the coming years. If the safety of citizens is a priority, then the fight against "thieves-in-law" type groups must stop being just a topic for media headlines and become an element of state strategy implemented with full determination, regardless of political or economic costs. Otherwise, in a few years, the situation in Polish cities may become impossible to control, and trust in public institutions will be permanently damaged.