Officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police (CBŚP), the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (CBZC), and the Internal Security Agency (ABW), supported by counter-terrorism units, have dismantled an international organized criminal group engaged in fraud involving fast mobile payments. The operation was conducted under the supervision of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Siedlce.
A total of 12 people were detained: four men and eight women aged between 21 and 57. Among them were two Russian citizens (detained in Warsaw), one Ukrainian citizen, and nine Poles, including a so-called “pseudo-fan” of a Warsaw football club. According to Polish media (in particular RMF24 and Rzeczpospolita), both Russians held temporary residence permits in Poland (one had been in the country since 2024, the other since 2025). They are 50 and 42 years old. Law enforcement databases contain warning entries regarding possible contacts of these individuals with terrorist organizations. Officially, this does not equate to confirmed links or terrorism charges — these are warnings that prompted the involvement of the ABW and counter-terrorism units in the operation.
The group had been operating since approximately 2024, mainly in Warsaw, Łódź, Białystok, and other Polish cities. Members posed as employees of banks and online trading platforms, obtained one-time codes from victims (including BLIK codes), and carried out rapid online transfers. According to preliminary CBZC data, the established damage amounts to around 250,000 zlotys, but investigators assess the real scale of the fraud at least in the millions of zlotys. According to sources, the group’s daily “income” could range from several tens of thousands to 200,000 zlotys.
Cash in Polish and foreign currency, jewelry, and vehicles worth a total of more than 850,000 zlotys were seized from the detainees. The court placed seven of the suspects in pre-trial detention for three months; the others were placed under police supervision. They face up to 12 years in prison. The investigation is ongoing — the police do not rule out further arrests.
