Polish security agency arrests 17-year-old neo-Nazi plotting attacks on school and mosque
Poland's Internal Security Agency detained a 17-year-old in Siemianowice Śląskie for preparing mass-casualty attacks on a school and a mosque, placing him in three months of pre-trial detention.
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) arrested 17-year-old Paweł G. from Siemianowice Śląskie on suspicion of planning a mass-casualty terrorist attack against a school and a mosque. The operation was carried out on 18 September 2026 by officers from the ABW delegation in Katowice working alongside the Silesian branch of the National Prosecutor's Office. Following a motion submitted by prosecutors, a court ordered the teenager held in pre-trial detention for three months. Official announcements on 22 September 2026 outlined three charges spanning activities conducted between 28 May and 20 September 2026. Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek announced the detention publicly on social media.
There is and will be no leniency for fascism, hatred, and planning bloody attacks in Poland.
Extremist networks and seized weapons
Investigators identified Paweł G. as a member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Polska and a co-founder of an extremist group named Bierut Soldier ZNB. Communications across Discord and Telegram showed that members analyzed earlier mass shootings, reviewed lone-attacker methods, and shared antisemitic and racist literature. During a search of the teenager's residence, officers recovered knives, an AKM rifle bayonet, books, patches, and items bearing Nazi and fascist symbols. Minister Żurek stated that weapons and explosive materials were secured at the property. Digital forensic teams examined phones and electronic media, finding discussions on target surveillance, the purchase of firearms, and the assembly of Molotov cocktails and grenades.
- Start date of alleged criminal offenses specified in the formal charges
- ABW Katowice arrests Paweł G. and searches his home in Siemianowice Śląskie
- End date of the criminal timeframe cited by the National Prosecutor's Office
- Officials announce charges, plot details, and three-month pre-trial detention
Legal charges and youth court referrals
National Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Przemysław Nowak detailed three formal charges filed against Paweł G. under the Polish Penal Code. The primary accusation is preparation to murder multiple people in a terrorist attack, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The remaining two charges encompass participation in an organized criminal group aimed at terrorism and hate crimes, alongside the public promotion of totalitarian fascism and online dissemination of neo-Nazi material. Paweł G. did not admit to the allegations and refused to provide explanations during questioning. In addition, prosecutors transferred files regarding two cooperating 16-year-olds to family and juvenile courts for separate proceedings. The pre-trial detention period of three months will allow forensic experts to complete technical examinations of all confiscated computers and storage drives.
Security agency warnings on youth radicalization
The detention of Paweł G. followed the arrest of the two 16-year-old associates in Silesia during the preceding week. The ABW confirmed that operational activities remain ongoing to identify recruiters and networks responsible for radicalizing the teenagers. Security services noted that the suspects used digital platforms to coordinate potential attacks and acquire military equipment. Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for the Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, emphasized that online monitoring must detect radicalization before plots advance into physical violence.
Youth radicalization does not begin with an attack. It begins much earlier with content, contacts, and an environment that can lead to a real threat.
