Ukrainian woman held in Poland over network of sham companies
A 23-year-old Ukrainian national has been detained in an investigation into companies allegedly used to facilitate foreigners’ entry to Poland. Authorities say about 11,500 employment declarations were issued.
Polish border officers detained a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman on September 26 as she entered the country from Ukraine. Investigators suspect her of helping establish a nationwide network of shell businesses linked to irregular border crossings.
inPoland.net.pl reported the case on Thursday, October 8. The woman was taken to the District Prosecutor’s Office in Łódź and charged with arranging unlawful border crossings and fraudulently obtaining false certificates. A court ordered her held for three months pending further proceedings.
Authorities believe roughly 130 companies were registered across Poland without conducting genuine commercial activity. Those entities allegedly generated about 11,500 declarations assigning work to foreign nationals, enabling applicants to seek visas and enter Poland despite never taking up the stated jobs.
Three other suspects—a Polish woman, a Belarusian man and another Ukrainian woman—were detained in May and remain in custody. The investigation is continuing, with additional arrests considered possible.