By Jo Harper
WARSAW (AA) - Polish prosecutors on Wednesday charged six people with attempting to smuggle specialized equipment into Russia that authorities say could be used in the production of combat drones.
“This was equipment of strategic importance, covered by export restrictions introduced after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine,” the National Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “The attempted smuggling posed a direct threat to Poland’s security interests.”
The prosecutor’s office said the suspects – four Belarusian nationals and two Polish citizens – were detained last week in coordinated raids carried out by the Internal Security Agency. All six were residing in Poland at the time of their arrest.
According to prosecutors, the group attempted to export, via Belarus, a device used to automate the production of integrated circuits. Such components can have civilian applications but are also used in the assembly of military systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
The case was uncovered after the National Revenue Administration, Poland’s tax and customs authority, intercepted the shipment. Prosecutors said the intervention “contributed to the disruption of potential deliveries of military equipment to Russian troops operating in eastern Ukraine.”
The suspects have been charged under a law adopted in April 2022 that criminalizes support for Russia’s aggression, including the export of strategically important goods that could be used in the production of military technology. Convictions carry a minimum prison sentence of three years.
A spokesperson for the Internal Security Agency said the investigation shows that “attempts to bypass sanctions are becoming increasingly sophisticated,” adding that Poland remains “a frontline state when it comes to detecting and countering activities that support the Russian war effort.”
Three of the suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention by a court, a measure typically used when investigators consider someone a flight risk or a potential threat to national security. The remaining three have been released on bail.
The same sanctions law was used earlier this month in a separate case in which five people were charged with smuggling cigarettes from Belarus into Poland using weather balloons.
Prosecutors argued that the proceeds from the operation benefited Belarusian entities and therefore indirectly supported Russia, Minsk’s key ally.
Polish authorities have warned that Russia’s extensive use of drones in Ukraine – both on the battlefield and in attacks on civilian infrastructure – has heightened efforts to obtain restricted technology through third countries.
Last September, Polish officials reported an incident in which around 20 Russian drones violated Polish airspace overnight. Some were downed by Polish and allied NATO forces, while others fell to the ground without causing casualties.