Russian Hockey Player Arrested in Poland on Suspicion of Espionage
The Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor's Office in Lublin has charged another individual involved in espionage activities on behalf of the Russian Federation. This marks the 14th suspect in the case of a spy network operating in Poland.
According to PolskieRadio24.pl, the investigation into the spy network operating within the Republic of Poland is being conducted by the Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Lublin Division of the National Prosecutor's Office. As part of this case, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) has apprehended a Russian citizen. The activities of the agents took place in the Silesian Voivodeship.
The detained individual has been brought to the prosecutor's office, where he has been formally charged. According to the press service of the National Prosecutor's Office, the Russian national is accused of participating in an organized criminal group (Article 258, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Poland) and engaging in activities for foreign intelligence against the interests of the Republic of Poland (Article 130, Part 1 of the Criminal Code). The suspect could face up to 10 years of imprisonment for the alleged offenses.
It is reported that the detained person is a professional athlete playing for a first-league club and has been in Poland since October 2021.
During the investigation, it was discovered that the individual was involved in reconnaissance of critical infrastructure in several voivodeships and regularly provided his clients with information regarding the results of this intelligence in exchange for money.
The National Prosecutor's Office has announced its decision to request temporary detention from the court. The justification for this preventive measure is to ensure the proper conduct of the proceedings and to address the real risk of the suspect fleeing.
The court shared the prosecutor's concerns and granted the preventive measure. According to the court, the evidence collected by the investigators indicates a high probability of the suspect having committed the alleged actions.
"Russian spies are being exposed one by one," commented Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro on Twitter regarding the case involving the apprehension of individuals engaged in activities on behalf of the Kremlin. The Minister of Justice also noted that the latest arrestee attempted to conceal his activities under the guise of a sports career.
Earlier, it was reported that the Polish Internal Security Agency had uncovered a spy network operating in favor of Russia. As part of these efforts, several individuals suspected of collaborating with Russian intelligence services were detained. The detainees were conducting reconnaissance activities against Poland and preparing diversions at the behest of Russian intelligence.
"The pattern of activities of this group, which emerged after the previous arrests, remains relevant. We are talking about individuals who operated as part of a Russian special services group. They carried out specific tasks commissioned by Russian special services, which are part of typical intelligence activities, as well as propaganda. This is a network of individuals who were tasked with gathering information about routes and transportation provided to Ukraine, but these individuals also disseminated specific content that was ordered by the Russian side and is part of the current agenda of active propaganda against Poland," stated the ABW.
Stanislaw Zaryn, the Deputy Minister-Coordinator of the Intelligence Services, emphasized that this case undoubtedly "requires far-reaching active actions by the Internal Security Agency, which is also supported by other services." He described it as an ongoing development issue that requires further action.