Poland’s Border Guard (Straż Graniczna) has expelled nine Belarusian citizens who were arrested in Pomerania for running a large-scale illicit cigarette manufacturing line. According to a statement carried by Radio Gdańsk on 12 October 2026, officers from the Maritime Border Guard Unit had been monitoring the warehouse operation for several weeks before raiding the site and seizing un-taxed tobacco products. The foreigners were charged by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk with participating in an organised criminal group and breaching Poland’s excise regulations. After the court proceedings were completed, Border Guard commanders issued immediate return orders and imposed seven-year re-entry bans covering Poland and the entire Schengen Area. The men were escorted to the Terespol–Brest crossing and handed over to Belarusian authorities. Border Guard spokeswoman 2nd Lt. Katarzyna Przybysz said the case underscores “Poland’s zero-tolerance policy toward foreign nationals who pose a threat to public security or the fiscal interests of the state.” She added that since January the service has issued 184 compulsory-return decisions, of which 124 have already been executed. For companies employing non-EU nationals the incident is a reminder that criminal activity— even in areas unrelated to migration—can quickly trigger deportation and long Schengen-wide entry bans for staff. Compliance teams are advised to re-screen supply-chain partners and to brief assignees on Poland’s stringent stance toward tax and customs offences. The deportations also illustrate the growing operational capacity of Poland’s Border Guard following last year’s full roll-out of the EU Entry/Exit System, which gives officers real-time biometric data and exit alerts. Employers should expect more frequent inland checks and faster removal proceedings when violations are detected.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
