“For me, the most important aspect is the mention of a phone call to the coordinator. Who is this person? It’s astonishing. So, if the host of the house is struggling, they’re supposed to call the coordinator?” — reflects Professor Sławomir Cenckiewicz in light of information revealed by TV Republika regarding migrant smuggling across Poland’s northern and eastern borders.
TV Republika has been releasing shocking new details over the past few days about the illegal smuggling of migrants — a scheme allegedly involving, to varying degrees, activists long affiliated with the current ruling camp. Names such as Klementyna Suchanow, Bartosz Kramek, and Paweł Kasprzak have surfaced in connection with the scandal.
Today, the station based at the Free Speech House revealed specific smuggling routes that passed through Poland. More on that below.
Prof. Cenckiewicz: Who Is the Coordinator?
As part of the series “Republic of Secret Services,” Prof. Sławomir Cenckiewicz addressed the issue. He pointed out that, to him, the most intriguing aspect of the entire affair lies in the “instructions” — for example, those meant for a “good house host.”
The instructions contain three points: that the guests usually stay for a short time, that they should be fed, and allowed to wash. But for me, the key point is the one about calling the coordinator. Who is this coordinator? It’s remarkable. So if the host can’t handle the situation, they’re to call this person. “If the support for the guest exceeds your financial means” — this is also curious. What does that mean? It suggests that these hosts are volunteers offering to shelter these individuals in their homes. But the concept of a coordinator is particularly puzzling,” said Cenckiewicz in a conversation with journalist Michał Rachoń.
There’s also the financial aspect, which is referenced in both the instructions and communications. It’s noted that if an activist runs out of funds or lacks them altogether, the coordinator “will assist.” This is fairly complex because the sources of that funding must be varied. But let’s be clear: people without money aren’t being smuggled to the West. The first group to be moved are those who can pay. That is, they must have money — to buy their freedom, fund their journey through Poland, and so on. In my view, these individuals paid to be brought to the West,” the historian explained.
He added: “Another potential source of funds could be donations from Poles or private donors, and even support from certain services — though I believe intelligence agencies prefer organizations to fund themselves. But in this entire operation, there might be people involved who see it purely as a business. It’s fast money.”
“High-Level Conspiracy”
Michał Rachoń and Sławomir Cenckiewicz also highlighted another aspect of the operation: communication between the “volunteers/activists” and the organizers. Those involved in the smuggling operation were fully aware of the locations of specific individuals — likely using “live maps.” According to Prof. Cenckiewicz, “this is where the greatest element of conspiracy is embedded in the instructions for those transporting the ‘guests’.”
“They mention secure communication — using ProtonMail, Signal. Messages are to be self-deleting, which is crucial. If you delete messages yourself, the authorities can still recover them. Kramek had his set to delete every three days. If they had shortened it to 8 or 16 hours, or even 24 hours, recovering the messages would be much harder. Another aspect is the use of coded language, like referring to a person as a ‘puppy up for adoption.’ I’d say this conspiracy was highly advanced. It had its flaws, but it also demonstrated how unprepared the Polish state was in 2021 when all of this was happening. Given the ongoing revelations, the Pegasus spyware should have been deployed. If it had, everything would be transparent and clear. As far as we know, the prosecution has not yet identified all the members of these groups,” he continued.
He concluded: “So, plainly speaking — if the most professional tools had been used — and here’s an appeal to equip Polish services with such tools — the case would have been handled far more effectively.”