Poland’s police detain Ukrainians with spying and hacking equipment

(MENAFN) Polish authorities have arrested three Ukrainian nationals after discovering what they described as spying and hacking equipment during a routine traffic stop in Warsaw.

The suspects reportedly told police they had been “traveling Europe” and had only recently arrived in Poland before planning to drive to Lithuania. Police noticed signs of agitation, prompting a search of the vehicle.

“Suspicious items that could even be used to interfere with the country’s strategic information systems” were found, including numerous SIM cards, antennas, laptops, routers, cameras, advanced hacking tools, and a “spy device detector,” according to police statements.

The men were unable to provide a clear explanation for the hardware and refused to cooperate. Police noted that the suspects “claimed to be computer scientists, and when asked more precise questions, they forgot English and pretended not to understand what was being said to them.”

All three were placed in pre-trial detention on suspicion of “fraud, computer fraud, and the acquisition of devices and computer programs adapted to commit crimes.” Investigators are working to determine the purpose of their travel to Poland.

The arrests follow a separate incident less than a month ago, in which Polish authorities accused two Ukrainian nationals of sabotaging a railway line between Warsaw and Lublin, involving an explosive device and a derailment clamp. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk alleged that the suspects had collaborated with Russian intelligence and subsequently fled to Belarus.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations against Russia, saying, “it would be really strange if Russia wasn’t the first one to be blamed,” but added that the repeated involvement of Ukrainian citizens in alleged acts of sabotage and terrorism against critical infrastructure is “noteworthy.”

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