Poland
Poland (Polish: Polska) officially the Republic of Poland is a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004. It is in Central Europe situated between the Baltic Sea in the north and two mountain ranges, the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains, in the south. It is bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north.
Country Information
- Warsaw
- 312,680 km2
- 38.1 million
Law Enforcement Agencies
Border Guard (Straż Graniczna)
The Border Guard was established in 1990. It is a uniformed and armed force, responsible for guarding Poland’s land borders and territorial waters and controlling traffic on the borders. In addition, the Border Guard’s tasks include issuing permits to cross the border and detecting and investigating cross-border crime, in particular illegal immigration, trafficking in human beings, the illegal employment of foreigners and smuggling of goods without the required excise marks. The Border Guard counteracts the forgery of administrative documents, and the import of toxic waste and dangerous materials (including drugs) and the export of antiques. An important part of the Border Guard’s duties is combating terrorism. Its officers detect and investigate trafficking in weapons, protect international transport channels by taking shifts in planes threatened by terrorist attack, and conduct security controls of air, sea and land traffic.
Contact Details
Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne)
The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau was established in 2006. It combats corruption in the public and private sectors and any activity which may endanger the state’s economic interests. The Bureau engages in criminal investigation, corruption prevention, anti-corruption information and operational activities. The Bureau investigates crimes relating to the activities of the state or self-government institutions, political party funding, justice, elections and referenda, public procurement, credibility of documents, property, economic turnover, tax duties, or grant and subsidy settlements. In the area of corruption prevention, the Bureau combats offences relating to public officials obstructing private businesses, privatisation and commercialisation, public procurement, state or private property, concessions, permits, exemptions, allowances, preferences, quotas, credit guarantees, and verifying official declarations. The Bureau analyses information related to corruption and activities which may endanger the state’s economic interests. It passes this information on to the Prime Minister, the President and Parliament.
Contact Details
Customs Service (Służba Celna)
The Customs Service implements the state’s customs policy. Its tasks include:
- monitoring compliance with customs law and other regulations;
- assessing and collecting customs and excise duties and other relevant taxes;
- cooperating on the implementation of the common agricultural policy;
- identifying, preventing and detecting customs crimes and misdemeanours and prosecuting the perpetrators of those crimes;
- identifying, detecting, preventing and combating crimes and misdemeanours relating to protection of cultural heritage and infringement of intellectual property rights, and to the import and export of restricted or prohibited goods, in particular toxic waste, chemical substances, radioactive material, weapons and ammunition, explosives, and technologies under international control;
- collecting fuel fees;
- duties related to statistics on trade in goods between Member States of the European Union (INTRASTAT);
- controlling the legitimacy of work performed by foreigners;
- controlling the legitimacy of gambling.
Contact Details
Email
- info.sluzbacelna@kat.mofnet.gov.pl
Phone
- 801 055 055
- (22) 330 03 30
- +48 22 330 03 30
Internal Security Agency (Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego)
The Internal Security Agency is a government institution responsible for the civilian sphere of counterintelligence. The agency pursues its mission by investigating, preventing and combating serious threats against internal security, such as espionage, international terrorism, organised crime and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In pursuit of its task to investigate, prevent and detect crimes which may damage the economic foundations of the state, the Internal Security Agency combats corruption, fiscal fraud, money laundering, stock exchange fraud and the misappropriation of EU funds. The agency is also responsible for supervising the system of data protection. The Internal Security Agency’s tasks are determined by Polish membership of international structures, in particular NATO and European Union. It is involved in number of international initiatives, including cooperation between special services to combat terrorism. In 2008, a Counter-Terrorism Centre was established within the Internal Security Agency. In cooperation with similar bodies in other countries, the centre monitors, analyses and verifies information on the threats posed by terrorism internally and externally.
Contact Details
Email
- poczta@abw.gov.pl
- rzecznik@abw.gov.pl
Phone
- (22) 585-92-92
National Police (Policja)
The Polish National Police is a uniformed and armed force, whose main goal is to serve and protect the people, and to maintain public order and security. The main activities of the National Police are to:
- protect people’s health, life and property;
- protect public safety and order;
- organise community policing and crime prevention activities;
- detect crimes and misdemeanours and arresting those who commit them;
- monitor compliance with regulations regarding public life and public spaces;
- cooperate with police forces from other countries and international organisations. The Polish National Police consists of criminal, patrol and support services. The Court Police are also the part of the National Police.
Contact Details
Email
- kancelaria.gabinetkgp@policja.gov.pl
- cyber-kgp@policja.gov.pl
- informacjapubliczna.kgp@policja.gov.pl
- rzecznikkgp@policja.gov.pl
Phone
- (22) 62 102 51
- (22) 60 122 72
- (22) 60 148 79
- (22) 60 141 00
- (22) 60 125 57
- (22) 60 120 02