Prosecution Brings Charges in Money Laundering Case Involving Wólka Kosowska Group

The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw has brought charges against a Turkish citizen, Abdulbaki T., in connection with his alleged cooperation with an organized criminal group operating in the area of Wólka Kosowska. According to the indictment, the accused's company, from February 2021 to April 2022, commissioned this criminal group to carry out activities aimed at money laundering, evading tax obligations, and conducting international financial transfers. Investigators determined that these activities brought the group's members millions in profits, while simultaneously causing significant losses to the State Treasury. The criminal group under investigation was led by Zbigniew Adam B. and Viet Ha N., alias Paweł. This case represents another element of the long-term efforts by Polish law enforcement agencies targeting the criminal network associated with the wholesale center in Wólka Kosowska. Wólka Kosowska, a town near Warsaw known for the largest textile trading center in Central and Eastern Europe, has for years been associated with tax irregularities and criminal group activity. The first high-profile cases concerning money laundering and VAT fraud in this region were revealed as early as the beginning of the 2010s. The indictment has been filed with the District Court in Warsaw, which will handle the case. The prosecution spokesperson, prosecutor Mateusz Martyniuk, confirmed the filing of the indictment with the court. „Śledczy prześwietlili działalność oskarżonego” (Investigators thoroughly examined the accused's activities.) — prosecutor Mateusz Martyniuk. The group's modus operandi involved creating a network of fictitious companies that issued invoices to each other for non-existent services or goods, mainly in the textile sector. This allowed for generating false turnover, reclaiming VAT from the tax office, and then "siphoning off" these funds abroad through complex financial transactions. Such activity is referred to as a VAT carousel fraud and poses a serious problem for the state's financial system. The case of Abdulbaki T. fits into the broader fight against organized crime that has been ongoing for years around the wholesale center in Wólka Kosowska. Law enforcement agencies, including the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police and the prosecution, have been conducting coordinated operations there for many years. This time, the investigation focused on international connections and capital transfers outside Poland, indicating a professionalization of criminal methods.