A Polish operation uncovered a complete illicit cigarette production line worth over 28 million złoty, arresting 14 people—including nine Armenians—across three counties in Łódź and Masovian Voivodeships in early November.
Coalition Policing Uncovers Illicit Cigarette Production Line
Officers from the Bieszczady Section of the National Police and the Border Guard in the Łódź and Masovian Voivodeships uncovered a full tobacco, cigarette, and semi‑finished product production line, including machinery and a production line, as well as several dozen people.
The operations took place at three locations—Grójec, Rawicz, and Piotrków counties—in the first days of November and involved officers from the Operational and Investigative Department of the Bieszczady Section as well as the Border Guard Management in Kielce.
Scale and Value of Seized Merchandise
The seized goods included more than 12.7 million cigarettes bearing a well‑known brand’s trademarks, over 25 tonnes of tobacco leaf and tobacco, and semi‑finished cigarette products. The total value of the audited excise goods exceeds 28 million złoty.
Authorities estimate that, if the goods reached the market, the Treasury would have lost over 53 million złoty in lost revenue and unpaid taxes.
Arrests Include Nine Armenian Nationals
Among the 15 people identified during the operations, nine were Armenian citizens involved in producing illicit goods. They were charged with membership in an organized criminal group engaged in tax crimes.
Legal Sanctions and Preventive Detention
The Łódź District Court, at the prosecutor’s request, imposed a temporary detention of three months on 14 suspects as a preventive measure. For one suspect, police surveillance was applied as a liberty‑based measure.
Border Guard Involvement
The Border Guard played a key role in the coordinated police operation that led to the discovery of the production facilities and the arrests.
