An electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 valued at PLN 300,000 (EUR 70,000) was confiscated at the Budomierz road crossing on 15 October when Border Guard technicians discovered manipulated VIN numbers. The vehicle was driven by a 56-year-old Ukrainian woman exiting Poland for Lviv. She was interviewed as a witness and released, but the car remains in custody pending forensic examination. The seizure is part of a record wave of stolen-vehicle interceptions along Poland’s southeastern border. The Bieszczady Border Guard reports 130 high-value cars recovered so far in 2026—worth PLN 14.8 million—often linked to EU-wide leasing fraud rings. Electrified models are increasingly targeted as demand for EVs in Ukraine and the Caucasus outstrips supply. Customs brokers warn that intensive inspections, including under-chassis scans and real-time database queries, are lengthening average processing times for outbound trucks and private vehicles at Budomierz and Korczowa. Transport firms exporting finished goods to Ukraine should prepare for delays of up to two hours during peak periods until new fast-track lanes for AEO-certified operators come online in December. The incident also serves as a cautionary tale for expatriates purchasing used cars in Poland: importers recommend conducting a full Carfax Europe and Polish CEPiK check before registration to avoid unknowingly acquiring a stolen vehicle subject to seizure at the border.
Source: Bieszczady Border Guard
