Polish customs officers have seized almost 45 kilograms of marijuana worth more than PLN 2.2 million (approximately €520,000) from a passenger arriving at Warsaw Chopin Airport from Bangkok. The drugs were discovered in two suitcases belonging to a 33-year-old Greek citizen, who told officers he did not know the combination codes needed to open his luggage. The man was subsequently arrested and remanded in custody for three months.
The seizure was announced on Thursday, 22 October, by Poland’s National Revenue Administration (KAS), the agency responsible for customs and tax enforcement.
According to the official announcement from the Warsaw Chamber of Revenue Administration, customs officers discovered four vacuum-sealed packages containing dried cannabis during an inspection of the passenger’s checked luggage.
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Laboratory analysis subsequently confirmed that the substance was marijuana.
The case is being investigated under the supervision of the Warsaw-Ochota District Prosecutor’s Office.
Passenger could not provide suitcase codes
The man had arrived in the Polish capital on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand, when customs officers selected his luggage for inspection.
The two suitcases were identified as belonging to the 33-year-old Greek national.
When officers asked for the codes needed to unlock them, the passenger said he did not know them.
Customs officers proceeded to open the luggage and discovered four tightly sealed packages.
Each package contained green plant material wrapped in vacuum-sealed plastic and secured with orange tape.
An initial narcotics test indicated that the material was marijuana.
The drugs were subsequently examined by the Central Customs and Tax Laboratory in Otwock, near Warsaw, which confirmed the identification.
The total weight was 44.9 kilograms, while customs officials estimated the illegal market value at more than PLN 2.2 million.
The authorities have not publicly established who originally packed the suitcases or whether other individuals were involved.
The passenger’s statement about not knowing the luggage codes has been reported by customs officials, but its truthfulness has not been established by a court.
Suspect could face up to 20 years in prison
The passenger was detained following the discovery.
A Polish court subsequently ordered him to remain in pre-trial custody for three months.
Under Polish law, illegally importing a significant quantity of narcotic drugs can carry a prison sentence of three to 20 years, alongside a possible fine.
That is the potential statutory penalty, not a sentence imposed on the arrested man.
The investigation is being conducted by the Masovian Customs and Tax Office in Warsaw, under the supervision of the Warsaw-Ochota District Prosecutor’s Office.
Officials have not publicly identified the suspect by name or confirmed the precise charges filed against him.
The court’s decision to order temporary detention does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Another major seizure involving drugs from Thailand
The Warsaw airport discovery follows several other substantial interceptions involving cannabis originating in Thailand.
On 16 October, just six days before the latest announcement, the National Revenue Administration reported seizing 108.9kg of marijuana concealed inside exercise mats and fitness rollers.
That shipment had been sent from Thailand and was intended for a recipient in Poland.
Customs officers discovered 375 sealed packages hidden in equipment that had been declared as fitness products.
The estimated value of those drugs was almost PLN 5.5 million.
In June, customs officials at Warsaw Chopin Airport also intercepted more than 47kg of marijuana hidden in cans of mandarin pulp in a shipment from Thailand.
Those cases involved cargo shipments rather than the baggage of the Greek passenger detained in the latest case.
There is no publicly verified evidence connecting the separate consignments to a single trafficking organisation.
Investigation continues
Customs investigators are now working with prosecutors to establish the circumstances surrounding the attempted importation.
The precise date of the airport inspection was not disclosed in Thursday’s announcement, and authorities have not released further information about the suspect’s intended destination after arriving in Warsaw.
For now, the confirmed developments are the seizure of 44.9kg of marijuana, the detention of a Greek passenger and a court order placing him in custody for three months while the investigation continues.
