Syrian accused of smuggling 160 migrants. The indictment went to court

The territory Prosecutor's Office in Zamość directed an indictment against a Syrian citizen to the Lublin territory Court, who according to investigative findings was 1 of the organizers of the illegal spread of at least 160 foreigners across the Polish-Belarusian border. The allegations include action within an organised criminal group of an global nature, taking advantage of the assets involved, and coordinating the various stages of human trafficking.

The investigation conducted by the officers of the Nadbuzhany Border defender Branch from the Sławatycze facility covered the period from August 2022 to August 2023. The group's activities extended to the territory of Poland, Germany and Belarus, and the crossing of the border itself took place in places outside border crossings, which constitutes a violation of both the Polish Criminal Code and the provisions of global law.

According to the prosecution's findings, the suspect was active in setting time limits and conditions for receiving migrants after their illegal border crossing from the Belarusian side. He organized transport into the country, mainly towards the Polish-German border, and then gave detailed instructions to drivers and pilots. All of this was done through encrypted net communicators, which was expected to make it hard for the services.

"He organised the transport of at least 160 people, set the place and time of reception of migrants, supervised drivers and paid their wages. The property benefit of the full operation exceeded $48,000," the Border defender says.

The financing mechanics worked in a simple but effective way. The suspect transferred money to designated persons who then accounted for drivers and intermediaries. According to investigators, the charge for transporting 1 individual was between $300 and $400. Migrants were recruited by another people working with the group, mainly in the countries of the mediate East and Africa, and their way led through Russia and Belarus to then enter Poland and further into Western Europe.

The case has an crucial global dimension. The defendant, staying legally in Germany at the end of 2024, was charged with financial fraud there and was imprisoned in a prison facility. Therefore, the Polish prosecution, in order to be able to proceed its proceedings, utilized the mechanics of the European investigation order. This legal instrument allows the associate States of the European Union to exchange evidence and interrogate suspects outside the country conducting the investigation. Thanks to this procedure, it was possible to collect evidence and mention the indictment to the Lublin court in early 2025.

"The investigation was global and required close cooperation with law enforcement authorities in Germany. The exchange of information within the framework of the European Investigation Order was crucial for the conclusion of the procedure,” informs the spokesperson of the territory Prosecutor's Office in Zamość.

The suspect is inactive serving a prison conviction in Germany, and in parallel he will answer to the Polish court. He's facing 5 years in prison. In the case of conviction, it is possible to apply the procedure of transferring the sentenced individual to Poland for the intent of serving the sentence.

In the same case, judgments against the another 12 members of the same criminal group have already been passed before the Lublin territory Court. On March 27, 2025, the court sentenced them to six months to 2 and a half years imprisonment. Judgments are final.

The activities of this group are part of a wider problem related to migration force on the Polish-Belarusian border, which has become 1 of the main points of tension in the safety policy of Poland and the European Union since 2021. Migrants frequently become victims of specialized criminal networks that exploit their desperation by charging advanced fees and putting their lives at hazard during illegal crossings.

From a legal point of view, this case qualifies not only as an aid to illegal border crossing but besides as an activity in an organised criminal group. Pursuant to Article 264a of the Criminal Code, organising an illegal crossing of the border in order to get a property benefit is simply a criminal offence punishable by a punishment of up to 8 years in prison and participation in a criminal group may consequence in additional years of punishment.

Investigators stress that 1 of the most hard elements in the fight against specified groups is their dispersal and the global nature of the actions. Often, migrants, transport operators and those liable for border reception are in different countries, which requires coordination of many services and institutions.

The case of the accused Syrian shows that, with the appropriate exchange of information and the usage of tools specified as the European Investigation Order, it is possible to effectively break down parts of the criminal structures in this area. At the same time, it reveals the scale of the problem, which remains 1 of the most serious challenges for border safety in the region.

Photo by: strazbrzyczna.pl