Foreign criminal groups are attempting to infiltrate Poland, using violent methods to control various illegal activities, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak warned on Tuesday.
“There is an imported violent crime problem. Hardly a week goes by without reports of brutal fights and violent acts, mostly among gang members,” Siemoniak stated.
He revealed that law enforcement agencies have recorded serious crimes linked to foreign gangs, including drug and arms trafficking, extortion, and other offenses.
“The police data speaks for itself. These gangs are trying to take control, and they use cruel methods to do so,” he added.
Siemoniak noted that Poland deported 8,000 individuals last year, with hundreds currently in custody. He cited a recent knife fight in central Warsaw, involving foreign nationals, which resulted in multiple injuries and one fatality.
On Friday evening, three Georgian citizens were wounded in a violent altercation at Constitution Square, with a 31-year-old man succumbing to a chest wound in the hospital. Three suspects have been sentenced to two months in prison.
Authorities have pledged continued vigilance to curb the rising influence of foreign criminal groups.
