Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said officers from Poland's Central Bureau of Police Investigation (CBŚP) and the National Revenue Administration (KAS) intercepted 1,030 kg of heroin that had been shipped from the United Arab Emirates and was destined for the Baltic port of Gdynia.
"This is the largest operation of its kind in more than a decade and the biggest anti-narcotics operation in recent years," Kierwiński told a news conference alongside Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański.
The seizure followed a tip from Britain's tax and customs authority that containers carrying drugs could be arriving in Poland.
In March, Polish investigators inspected containers declared as carrying decorative building materials and discovered the concealed heroin, according to customs officials.
Authorities said the drugs had an estimated street value of nearly PLN 220 million (EUR 52 million, USD 60 million).
Domański said the case ranked among the largest heroin seizures not only in Poland but also across the European Union.
He credited close cooperation between customs officials, police investigators and international partners, including British authorities.
He also highlighted the role of advanced X-ray scanning equipment at border crossings, saying the government had invested heavily in modern detection technology.
Eight new scanners were installed at Polish border crossings last year, he said.
According to officials, three Polish citizens—two men and a woman aged between 33 and 43—were detained in May in connection with the smuggling attempt.
Prosecutors have charged them with attempting to transport large quantities of narcotics through Poland.
Two of the suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Kierwiński said Polish law enforcement agencies had intensified efforts against organised crime and drug trafficking this year.
'No leniency' for drug offenders
During the first five months of 2026, authorities seized more than 83 tonnes of narcotics, dismantled 49 drug laboratories and four cannabis plantations, and arrested nearly 1,200 suspects.
Among those detained were 83 people accused of leading organised criminal groups, he said.
"There will be no leniency for those involved in this kind of criminal activity," Kierwiński said.
The investigation, overseen by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the Baltic city of Gdańsk, remains ongoing and further detentions are possible, authorities said.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, polskieradio24.pl, cbsp.policja.pl