Belarusian Driver Detained in Poland With Contraband Tobacco Cargo

Reform.news Editorial Team · 28 May 2026, 15:56

https://reform.news/en/belarusian-driver-detained-in-poland-with-contraband-tobacco-cargo/

In the Silesian Voivodeship, officers from the Customs and Tax Service and the Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police inspected a truck traveling along the A1 motorway. Contraband tobacco was discovered in the cargo compartment, Poland’s National Revenue Administration reported.

The driver, a 34-year-old Belarusian citizen, presented documents stating that he was transporting tobacco waste from Italy to Lithuania. In the boxes carried in the semi-trailer, customs officers found more than 14.5 tons of smoking tobacco. Its market value is estimated at more than 15 million zlotys ($4.1 million).

An investigation has been launched. The driver was questioned as a witness.