False Ukrainian driving licences on Polish roads: an expanding threat to road safety
In fresh years, Polish services have seen an increase in the usage of false Ukrainian driving licences, which poses a serious threat to road safety. This is peculiarly worrying in the context of professional drivers who, without appropriate qualifications, drive dense goods vehicles.
Problem scale
Since the beginning of 2024, officers of the Bieszczady Border defender Branch have revealed over 600 false documents, of which more than 100 are false driving licences, mostly Ukrainian. In 1 of the last cases of April 9, 2025, during the bus control at the Medica border crossingway, 203 counterfeit Ukrainian driving licences were found hidden in a bag of chips. Officers of the Bieszczady Border defender Branch made an different discovery with the aid of a service dog. A bag filled with food products was found... and among them were 203 plastic envelopes containing Ukrainian driving licences. The analysis showed that these papers were reworked – the ‘C’ category was illegally added on the reverse of each of them, which entitles to drive dense goods vehicles.
Two Ukrainian drivers aged 30 and 36, interviewed as witnesses, explained that the bag was carried as a shipment and did not know its contents. Border defender officers are investigating this. Additionally, 900 bottles of e-cigarette liquids were found in the bus without Polish taxation marks, with a full volume of 27 litres. 1 of the drivers confessed to carrying this product
Earlier, in 2021, more than 250 false driving licences were detained at the Podkarpackie border crossing points, most of which were utilized by Ukrainian citizens. specified a paper is easy to hide, the question of how many specified "left" papers cross the Polish border and neglect to be intercepted by customs.
Methods of counterfeiting
Counterfeiters frequently add the ‘C’ category to the documents, which entitles them to drive dense goods vehicles, allowing them to take up work as a professional driver without adequate qualifications . Some of the fake papers are so well done that their detection during regular inspection is difficult .
Safety implications
The presence on the road of drivers without adequate qualifications increases the hazard of accidents.Lack of skills in driving dense goods vehicles, ignorance of traffic regulations and cases of driving under the influence of alcohol are serious risks for another traffic participants.
Polish services intensify checks at borders and in the country, utilizing specialized equipment to detect false documents.They besides cooperate with abroad law enforcement authorities to break down networks active in the production and distribution of fake driving licences.
The average driver does not see this problem as much as professional drivers or hauliers, who are confronted with problems specified as destroyed rolling stock, speeding tickets, dangerous manoeuvres on industrial wives, road parking lots or companies.
The problem of fake Ukrainian driving licences in Poland is increasing, creating a real threat to road safety.Further efforts by the services and public awareness of this phenomenon are needed to effectively counter its negative effects.
A What do you think? Have you met with drivers who evidently shouldn't have a driver's license? Is false papers a real problem on routes?
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