By M10News Crime News Desk | 2 July 2025
Polish authorities have dismantled a criminal network accused of trafficking African migrants into Poland and Latvia via Belarus, subsequently kidnapping them and demanding ransoms from their families. The gang allegedly threatened to kill captives and sell their organs if ransom payments were not made.
The investigation began in mid-June after an aid organisation alerted police to a disturbing online message. The message claimed that two Ethiopian migrants were held hostage in Poland, accompanied by graphic photos showing the men naked and bound, along with ransom demands written in Russian requesting cryptocurrency transfers from the victims’ families.
On 14 June, the two Ethiopian migrants escaped captivity and were seen running naked and visibly distressed through Lubin, a city in western Poland.
According to the Central Police Investigation Bureau, Polish police have arrested a Ukrainian gang involved in kidnapping and demanding ransom from African migrants.
Passersby called emergency services, and the men received medical treatment before being placed under the care of Polish border authorities.
Videos and images of the incident quickly spread on social media, with some users exploiting the footage to stoke anti-immigration sentiment.
Patryk Jaki, deputy leader of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, cited the event as evidence of growing instability under the current government and called for political change.
Poland’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚP) identified the suspects responsible but found they had fled Poland for Lithuania, and subsequently Latvia, before authorities could arrest them.
In Latvia, the gang allegedly continued their criminal activities by abducting three Malian nationals. One victim was tied to a tree and physically assaulted; the abuse was filmed and sent to the victim’s family along with new ransom demands.
On 25 June, three suspects returned to Poland and were apprehended by counter-terrorism police while travelling by car.
A fourth individual, suspected of aiding migrant smuggling, was arrested separately. Searches of their vehicles uncovered items resembling firearms, balaclavas, tape, mobile phones, and a phone belonging to one of the Malian victims.
The suspects face charges of participating in an organised criminal group, kidnapping for ransom, and facilitating illegal border crossings. Three have been placed in pretrial detention.
Reports from RMF FM indicate all four suspects are Ukrainian nationals aged between 20 and 40 who legally reside in Poland. They are believed to have been involved in smuggling migrants into the European Union from Belarus.
According to the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, the arrested individuals have been identified as Vladyslaw M., Oleksandr S., Yelizaveta S., and Mykhalio R., with full names withheld in line with privacy laws.
This case highlights ongoing challenges along Poland’s eastern border, where, since 2021, thousands of migrants from Africa and Asia have attempted to cross into the EU via Belarus.
Polish officials accuse Belarusian authorities of facilitating these crossings as part of a “hybrid warfare” strategy aimed at destabilising the region.
Last year, prosecutors charged 36 suspects of various nationalities—including Polish, Ukrainian, Iraqi, and Belarusian—for operating a smuggling ring responsible for trafficking thousands of migrants into Poland and Germany, with some members linked to terrorism financing.
In response to the crisis, Poland recently launched an information campaign targeting seven African and Asian countries to warn potential migrants against trusting traffickers promising safe passage through Belarus.
