«We were all equal». Former Polish customs officer from Bobrowniki told about participation in cigarette smuggling from Belarus
He and eight other people are now on trial in Białystok.
A former employee of the Polish National Revenue Administration (KAS), who worked at the Bobrowniki border crossing, pleaded guilty in a Białystok court to participating in cigarette smuggling from Belarus. He stated that he received 65 thousand euros in bribes, writes MOST.
The man is involved in a case concerning nine people, including eight former KAS employees. According to the prosecution, they helped smuggle cars with contraband cigarettes across the border for money.
The investigation believes that the organized group operated from autumn 2018 to spring 2020 in the Podlaskie and Masovian voivodeships. Cigarettes were imported into Poland, including through the Bobrowniki border crossing.
According to the prosecution, the group introduced at least 27 million packs of cigarettes into circulation. The damage to the Polish budget from unpaid excise duties, customs duties, and VAT was estimated at PLN 626.2 million ($168 million at today's exchange rate).
The total amount of bribes mentioned in the indictments is almost PLN 4.9 million ($1.3 million at today's exchange rate).
The former customs officer did not fully admit guilt. He stated that the prosecution mistakenly considers him the informal leader of the group.
«We were all equal, everyone cooperated equally and received money equally,» he said in court.
The man also called the amount of bribes attributed to him «overstated, unrealistic, and absurd». He admitted to receiving 65 thousand euros.
Earlier, the prosecution reported that among the suspects in a broader case of smuggling through Bobrowniki and Terespol, there are also citizens of Belarus.
The accused face up to ten years in prison and large fines.
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