2023-03-16 12:46 update: 2023-03-17, 14:29
Mariusz Kamiński. Photo PAP/Piotr Nowak
Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) has arrested six people on suspicion of cooperating with the Russian security services, the Polish interior minister said on Thursday.
"The suspects had been conducting intelligence operations against Poland and preparing acts of sabotage ordered by Russian intelligence," said Mariusz Kaminski.
Having confirmed earlier reports about ABW agents breaking up a spy network, Kaminski, who is also the coordinator of Poland's intelligence services, said that the detained persons are "foreigners from behind Poland's eastern border."
"A court has decided to put six persons, out of the nine detained, under temporary arrest. They have been charged by the prosecution of spying for Russia and participating in an organised crime group. Prosecution proceedings concerning three other detainees continue," Kaminski added.
The minister pointed out that "the suspects had been getting ready to carry out sabotage operations designed to paralyse deliveries of equipment and weapons, as well as humanitarian aid to Ukraine."
Kaminski also said that ABW agents had seized cameras, electronic equipment and well as GPS transmitters which were to be installed on aid transports going to Ukraine.
According to the minister, the collected evidence shows that the group had also been ordered to destabilise Polish-Ukrainian relations, to incite hostility towards Nato countries in Poland, and to attack the policies of the Polish government towards Ukraine.
"The ABW has at its disposal evidence confirming that the suspects had been receiving payments from the Russian secret services," Kaminski noted, adding that they had been paid on a regular basis.
The radio station RMF FM was the first to report on Wednesday that the security services had cracked a spy network working for Russia, which was preparing possible sabotage attacks on railway lines.
According to RMF FM, they had installed cameras along railway routes in the Podkarpackie province, south-eastern Poland, close to the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, which is the main logistics hub delivering military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. (PAP)
