Polish Police Bust Migrant Kidnapping Ring
Victims were abducted after illegally crossing from Belarus.
A criminal organization accused of assisting African migrants in unlawfully entering Poland and Latvia from Belarus has been dismantled by Polish police. After their arrival, the migrants were allegedly kidnapped, and their families were forced to pay ransoms.
Arrests and Initial Discovery
Four individuals, reportedly Ukrainian nationals, have been apprehended in connection with the scheme. The suspects’ apprehension followed the escape of two alleged victims, who were discovered running unclothed through a Polish city. The investigation began in mid-June after an aid organization reported receiving a disturbing message through an online platform.
‼️ Nadzy etiopczycy zostali porwani dla okupu!
Dwóch ciemnoskórych nagich cudzoziemców – jak się później okazało Etiopczyków okazało się ofiarami porywaczy. Uciekli z bagażnika samochodu, którym ich przewożono.
👉 https://t.co/dnJCbLl1TL pic.twitter.com/P8SG94wbBR
— Lubin.pl (@lubin_pl) July 2, 2025
Ransom Demands and Escape
The message indicated that two Ethiopian citizens had been kidnapped and were being held in Poland. The kidnappers threatened to murder the captives and sell their organs if their ransom demands were not met. They included photos of naked, tied-up men and screenshots of Russian-language conversations demanding cryptocurrency payments.
The two Ethiopian citizens managed to escape on June 14. A concerned citizen noticed them and alerted emergency services. Border guards took them into custody, but before that, social media users posted videos and photos of the two men running through the streets of **Lubin**.
Political Exploitation
Some social media users seized the images as evidence of problems caused by non-European immigration. **Patryk Jaki**, a deputy leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, commented that the presence of “naked Ethiopians running through the street”
demonstrated that “in Poland things are happening that have never happened before.”
He urged Poles to end the current government.
International Connections
The Central Investigation Bureau (CBŚP) identified the suspects, but they had already fled to Lithuania. From there, they traveled to Latvia, where they kidnapped three Malian citizens. One victim was tied to a tree and beaten. A video of the abuse was sent to the migrant’s family with a ransom request. Globally, the average ransom payment demanded in kidnapping cases is around $14,100, though this varies widely by region (Statista 2023).
The Arrests
On June 25, counter-terrorism officers apprehended three suspects as they re-entered Poland. A fourth suspect was arrested separately for allegedly aiding the smuggling operation. Authorities discovered items resembling firearms, balaclavas, adhesive tape, and mobile phones in the suspects’ vehicles. One of the phones belonged to a Malian victim.
Funkcjonariusze @CBSPolicji zatrzymali 4⃣ osoby odpowiedzialne za brutalne porwania cudzoziemców.
Sprawcy uprowadzili obywateli Etiopii 🇪🇹i Mali🇲🇱, których przetrzymywali, bili i żądali za nich okupu 💰
🔹 Porwani byli bici, skrępowani i przewożeni w bagażnikach 💥
🔹 Jedna z… pic.twitter.com/cDNOpAayJQ— Centralne Biuro Śledcze Policji (@CBSPolicji) July 2, 2025
Charges and Suspects
Prosecutors have charged the suspects with participation in an organized criminal group, kidnapping for ransom, and organizing illegal border crossings. Three are in pretrial detention. RMF reports that the four suspects—**Vladyslaw M.**, **Oleksandr S.**, **Yelizaveta S.**, and **Mykhalio R.**—are Ukrainian citizens between 20 and 40 years old, legally residing in Poland, who were involved in smuggling migrants into the EU.
Migrant Crisis at Belarus Border
Since 2021, thousands of migrants and asylum seekers, mainly from Asia and Africa, have attempted to enter Poland and the Baltic states from Belarus, allegedly with the encouragement of Belarusian authorities.
Last year, Poland charged 36 individuals for allegedly smuggling migrants across the Belarus border and financing terrorism. In May, Poland launched a campaign in African and Asian countries to warn potential migrants against trusting smugglers.
