According to the report, there are currently 547 criminal gangs in operation, up from around 500 last year. Even though there is an increase in the number of gangs, the Central Investigation Bureau reports that 150 such groups were busted last year.
However, there are no gangs which are operational nationwide, the report states.
“Terrorist activity, trade in weapons and explosives, extortion, money laundering, narcotics and banking scams are just some of the crimes the Bureau tries to combat,” the report reads.
Polish gangs are seeing greater competition from foreign-led criminal rackets.
“Vietnamese gangs now dominate marijuana production,” Junior Inspector Sebastian Michalkiewicz, head of the Warsaw branch of the Central Investigation Bureau told the Rzeczpospolita daily.
Around 50 percent of the 61 marijuana plantations discovered by the Bureau last year were run by Vietnamese gangs.
The Bureau’s report also reveals that the number of gangs involved with economic crimes has increased by thirteen groups to amount to 177 gangs, which are mostly involved with VAT scams.
“Last year, the Central Investigation Bureau’s operations looked into the activity of 5,600 people engaged in 501 Polish groups, 36 international gangs, 7 Russian-led groups and three other foreign criminal rackets,” Police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski told Rzeczpospolita.
The police spokesman added that the Bureau managed to bust 150 criminal groups last year, including 144 Polish gangs, five international groups and one foreign gang.
5,300 people have had charges brought against them by the Bureau, while 1,700 are believed to be linked to organised crime groups. Among the accused are 112 foreigners, mainly citizens of Vietnam, Ukraine and Lithuania.
http://www.thenews.pl/national/artykul151171_poland-turning-into-gangland.html
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar