SEMINAR IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PROJECT "LEGAL TRADE – SECURE EUROPE – EU Law Enforcement Agencies against illegal tobacco trade"
‘LEGAL TRADE – SECURE EUROPE – EU Law Enforcement Agencies against illegal tobacco trade’ is the title of an international seminar organised by the Regional Police Headquarters in Lublin. The event, which took place in Krakow, was devoted to combating tobacco crime. The project was financed by the European Commission's Union Anti-Fraud Programme.
The Regional Police Headquarters in Lublin has taken the initiative to organise a joint project bringing together the police, border guards, prosecutors and customs services from Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Lithuania and Hungary by organising a 5-day seminar in Krakow, on 20-24 October 2025, on combating the illegal trade in tobacco products. The aim of the project is to facilitate multidisciplinary cooperation and raise awareness among law enforcement authorities in the European Union in the field of protecting the financial interests of the European Union, facilitating the exchange of information, experience and best practices, and creating networks and improving coordination between Member States in the field of combating crimes against the EU's financial interests.
The seminar was attended by representatives of Regional Police Headquarters in Lublin, Rzeszów, Kielce, Białystok and Olsztyn, police officers from the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police, and the Police Academy in Szczytno and the representatives of services and institutions: Border Guard, National Prosecutor's Office, National Revenue Administration, Spanish National Police, Lithuanian Police, Hungarian Police, EU customs and tax services, including the Lithuanian Customs Administration, Financial Administration of the Slovak Republic, Customs Service of the Czech Republic, and National Customs and Tax Administration of the Republic of Hungary.
The Head of the Economic Crime Division of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Lublin, Dominik Dziadosz, who opened the seminar, emphasised the importance of the issue at hand, namely the fight against tobacco crime.
The Chief noted that this type of crime has a real impact on security and economic stability, and that combating it effectively requires professionalism, modern tools and, above all, cooperation. He therefore emphasised the importance of this seminar as an important element of joint efforts to promote security. An important element of the seminar was the participation of representatives of tobacco companies: British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco, who conducted workshops on the last day as part of cooperation with law enforcement agencies in the exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas for combating the so-called grey market.
