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Poland charges six with attempting to smuggle drone-making equipment to Russia
Six suspects face charges under Poland's 2022 sanctions law for smuggling integrated circuit production equipment to Russia that could aid combat drone assembly.
On Wednesday, Poland's ABW and PK said they detained 6 suspects—4 Belarusian and 2 Polish—charged with smuggling an automated integrated-circuit device to Russia via Belarus.
They were charged under a law passed in April 2022 that bans export of strategically important equipment and punishes support for Russia's aggression within Poland's national security and sanctions framework.
Poland's National Revenue Administration initially stopped the shipment, and three suspects are in pretrial detention while three suspects were released on bail under police supervision and travel ban.
According to prosecutors, the scheme cost Poland 2 million zloty in lost taxes and helped support Russia's aggression by providing income to Belarus, disrupting deliveries to Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has used drones extensively in Ukraine, including attacks on civilian targets and energy infrastructure, and on one night in September last year around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace.