Elbląg Border Guard shuts down New Year's business
Nearly 130,000 packs of illegal cigarettes worth over 2.112 million PLN were seized in Elbląg County by Border Guard officers from Elbląg. This New Year's Eve operation saved the state treasury from losing nearly 3.5 million PLN, which would have been the tax losses if the cigarettes had been sold.
In brief
Polish Border Guard officers from Elbląg seized 129,503 packs of illegal cigarettes worth more than 2 million 112 thousand zlotys in Elbląg county. According to Tadeusz Gruchalla, spokesman for the Maritime Unit of the Polish Border Guard, the seizure of the goods protected the State Treasury from tax losses of almost PLN 3.5 million. During the search of two properties, officers also secured a Renault Master, more than 22 thousand zlotys in cash, 7 phones and GPS signal jammers, and detained four men aged 31 to 53.
- During searches of two properties, in farm buildings and vehicles, Border Guard officers secured a total of 129,503 packs of cigarettes with Belarusian excise stamps and some without any stamps. In addition to the cigarettes, officers also seized a Renault Master van, over 22,000 PLN in cash, 7 mobile phones, and GPS signal jammers - according to Tadeusz Gruchalla, spokesperson for the Maritime Border Guard Unit (MOSG).
At the scene, Border Guard officers detained four men aged between 31 and 53. These included three residents of the searched properties and a resident of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. After completing procedural actions, the detained men were released.
This operation follows the discovery on December 16 of 10,000 packs of untaxed cigarettes and 200 bottles of luxury perfumes of unknown origin in an apartment in Gdańsk.
- At that time, officers from the Elbląg Border Guard Station and the Provincial Police Headquarters in Gdańsk, apart from confiscating the illegal goods, detained two women—a 44-year-old mother and her 18-year-old daughter. The state treasury was exposed to a potential loss of 264,000 PLN - added Tadeusz Gruchalla.
Further proceedings in this case are being conducted by the Elbląg Border Guard.
Source: MOSG / Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier
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