A routine road inspection by the Węgorzewo Border Guard patrol on 5 November led to a major customs bust announced publicly the next evening, 6 November 2025. Officers stopped a Peugeot van in Szczytno county whose driver claimed to be carrying sandpaper. A search revealed 920,000 cigarettes without Polish excise stamps, packed behind false panels. Follow-up raids at the driver’s home uncovered additional contraband.
The stash is valued at around PLN 800,000 (€185,000) in unpaid duties. The 52-year-old suspect, a Polish national, faces up to five years in prison and a fine equal to the lost tax revenue under the Fiscal Penal Code. The case has been transferred to the Regional Prosecutor in Olsztyn; investigators believe the cigarettes entered Poland via the Kaliningrad region and were destined for Germany.
![Border Guard seizes 920,000 illicit cigarettes in Warmia-Mazury road check]()
Large-scale excise fraud is often intertwined with migrant-smuggling networks, and customs officials say profits from tobacco trafficking frequently finance facilitators moving people across the EU’s eastern frontier. Since January, Warmia-Mazury guards have seized over eight million illicit cigarettes—double last year’s figure—following the re-introduction of spot checks on roads leading from Lithuania.
For companies moving high-value cargo through north-eastern Poland, the seizure signals intensified roadside controls that can delay legitimate shipments. Freight operators should budget extra transit time and ensure drivers carry comprehensive CMR and load documentation to avoid secondary inspections.
The stash is valued at around PLN 800,000 (€185,000) in unpaid duties. The 52-year-old suspect, a Polish national, faces up to five years in prison and a fine equal to the lost tax revenue under the Fiscal Penal Code. The case has been transferred to the Regional Prosecutor in Olsztyn; investigators believe the cigarettes entered Poland via the Kaliningrad region and were destined for Germany.
Large-scale excise fraud is often intertwined with migrant-smuggling networks, and customs officials say profits from tobacco trafficking frequently finance facilitators moving people across the EU’s eastern frontier. Since January, Warmia-Mazury guards have seized over eight million illicit cigarettes—double last year’s figure—following the re-introduction of spot checks on roads leading from Lithuania.
For companies moving high-value cargo through north-eastern Poland, the seizure signals intensified roadside controls that can delay legitimate shipments. Freight operators should budget extra transit time and ensure drivers carry comprehensive CMR and load documentation to avoid secondary inspections.
