Seventeen locations searched, PLN 7.5 million secured, eight individuals detained – these are the results of operations carried out by officers of the Border Guard and the National Revenue Administration (KAS). The criminal organization involved in human trafficking was led by a Ukrainian national and a Polish citizen. So far, 50 victims of the scheme have been identified.
The Border Guard had been investigating a criminal group consisting of more than a dozen members, headed since 2024 by a Ukrainian citizen and a Pole. The group’s members were primarily nationals of Ukraine, Poland, and Uzbekistan. Their principal activity was human trafficking. The victims were mainly Colombian nationals. The perpetrators exploited their vulnerable life circumstances and forced them into labor, using threats among other coercive methods.
Through companies registered outside the European Union, the group delegated its victims to work in Poland. During the period covered by the investigation, the perpetrators recruited approximately 2,000 foreign nationals, whom they detained until transporting them to designated workplaces. To date, only 50 victims of the criminal operation have been formally identified.
Police Car Pursuits in Gdańsk
In the course of the investigation, the Border Guard uncovered evidence of additional criminal activity, namely money laundering.
“Pursuant to decisions issued by the Regional Prosecutor in Elbląg, on February 11, 2026, officers detained eight individuals in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. They searched 17 residential and commercial premises as well as vehicles used by persons connected to the scheme. Cash, investment gold, numismatic items, and jewelry were seized,” the Border Guard stated in its release. The value of the secured assets and funds is estimated at PLN 3.6 million. Earlier, bank accounts containing a total of PLN 3.8 million had also been secured.
The suspects did not surrender easily; two car chases took place on the streets of Gdańsk. “The pursued vehicles, driven by a Ukrainian and a Polish national, failed to stop for inspection. Officers were forced to use firearms. Only after shooting out the tires were they able to immobilize the vehicles and apprehend the fugitives,” Border Guard officials reported.
Up to 20 Years’ Imprisonment
The prosecutor’s office has charged the suspects with participation in an organized criminal group and human trafficking. The former offense alone carries a penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Six of the eight detainees remain in custody. The remaining two have been released on bail and are subject to police supervision.
The Border Guard does not rule out further arrests in connection with the case.