EPPO investigates Polish company over Russian plywood imports disguised as Kazakh goods
At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Katowice (Poland), law enforcement authorities have carried out investigative measures, as part of a probe into possible customs and VAT fraud and suspected circumvention of sanctions. A suspect was questioned.
The case concerns the fraudulent import of birch plywood from Russia, in order to circumvent the sanctions currently in force.
Between October 2023 and April 2025, the suspect, who is the director of a company located in Katowice, allegedly misled the Customs and Tax Office in Lublin regarding the true provenance of the shipments. According to the documents presented by the company, the birch plywood was manufactured in Kazakhstan. However, based on the evidence, the country of origin was in fact Russia.
As a result, the amounts of customs duties and VAT due were understated in the declarations submitted by the company to the competent customs authorities. This conduct caused an estimated damage of approximately €206 000 (PLN 885 926) in evaded customs duties and around €47 000 (PLN 203 755) in unpaid VAT.
After being questioned, the suspect was released and requested to provide a financial guarantee.
The investigation is being carried out with the support of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Katowice (Komenda Miejska Policji w Katowicach) and the Silesian Customs and Tax Office – Częstochowa Branch (Śląski Urząd Celno – Skarbowy Delegatura w Częstochowie).
All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Polish courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
World Affairs Correspondent
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