Poland bracing for ‘sharp increase’ in illegal weapons after Ukraine war
Poland’s security services are bracing for a “sharp increase” in the illegal arms trade due when the war in Ukraine comes to an end, with authorities announcing a new international initiative to tackle the issue.
Last month, Poland’s Central Investigation Bureau of Police (CBŚP) launched a new project, dubbed “Trident”, that aims to boost the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to detect and combat the smuggling of firearms linked to the ongoing conflict beyond the eastern border.
Junior Inspector Adam Radoń from the CBŚP’s organized crime unit told Polish daily Rzeczpospolita on Monday that the “end of armed conflicts has always been associated with the risk of the uncontrolled influx” of weapons, especially among organized crime groups.
The paper reported that an estimated half of illegal weapons traded in Europe still originate from the Western Balkans – despite the conflicts in that region having ended at the turn of the century.
“Given the experience gained from the end of hostilities in Europe and on other continents, we take very seriously the scenario of an influx of illegal firearms and ammunition from Ukraine to neighboring countries and the rest of the EU,” Radoń said.
Politicians and security officials in Poland have long warned that the end of the war in Ukraine could empower criminal groups involved in smuggling weapons – with Inspector General Marek Boroń saying earlier this year that battle-hardened veterans of the conflict could also be recruited by gangs.
He added that increased drug crime may also pose a challenge to Polish law enforcement in a post-war environment.
Detection and cross-border ops
Announcing the launch of Trident last month, the CBŚP said that “European law enforcement agencies predict an increase in the illegal trade and smuggling of weapons and explosives from the East into the European Union.”
“A sharp increase in this activity is expected in the near future, particularly in the context of serious and organized crime,” it added.
The agency said the goal of Trident is to help prepare police in Poland to detect the routes and methods used by arms smugglers, including through the purchase of specialist equipment, additional training and carrying out cross-border operations in cooperation with neighboring countries.
EU member states Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Spain – as well as non-EU countries Ukraine and Moldova – are set to be involved in Trident, according to the CBŚP, which added that the project is expected to cost 6.6 million złoty (€1.5 million) and be implemented over two years.