The detention took place in a forest complex, where the men were repacking Belarusian cigarettes from vehicles. Officers caught them at the scene. All three heard two charges each: smuggling and customs handling of tobacco products without Polish excise tax stamps, as well as a charge under the Act on Special Solutions for Counteracting Support for Aggression against Ukraine and for the Protection of National Security.
One of the vehicles contained 90,000 cigarettes, the other 30,000. In total, 120,000 cigarettes without Polish excise stamps. All of them originated from Belarus.
In the 42-year-old's apartment, police officers found about 5 kg of cut tobacco, also without the required excise tax stamps. The value of unpaid duties related to the entire contraband was estimated at nearly PLN 220,000.
The District Court in Białystok decided on temporary detention for three months for the 42-year-old and the 45-year-old. The 66-year-old was placed under police supervision.
According to investigators' findings, the tobacco products were to be brought into Poland using weather balloons. The case is ongoing.
They face a prison sentence of no less than three years.
Sources
- policja.gov.pl: Three people detained for smuggling cigarettes via balloons
- WP Wiadomości: Smuggling via balloons from Belarus. Three people were detained
Article prepared with the help of artificial intelligence based on: policja.gov.pl, WP Wiadomości. Facts checked automatically against these sources. The Wiadomości PRO newsroom is responsible for this publication.
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