Warsaw police detain 78 wanted persons across 800 inspected properties

Large-scale coordinated sweep

On Thursday, 20 August 2026, officers from the Warsaw Metropolitan Police conducted an extensive coordinated operation targeting individuals evading the justice system. The law enforcement action mobilized more than 700 police officers across the capital and its surrounding districts. Operating simultaneously throughout the day, specialized teams checked addresses in Warsaw, adjacent powiats, and several other municipalities across Poland. The deployment brought together criminal investigation units and prevention divisions from regional commands, county headquarters, and specialist police stations within the Warsaw garrison. The primary objective of the sweep was the apprehension of persons sought under arrest warrants and judicial conveyance orders issued by Polish courts and prosecutors.

Detentions and judicial processing

The single-day police action led directly to the arrest of 78 wanted individuals across the inspected locations. The detained group comprised both Polish nationals and foreign citizens who were wanted as criminal suspects, formal defendants in pending trials, or convicted individuals sentenced to custodial terms. Among those taken into custody were five foreign nationals, including one citizen of Azerbaijan sought under an active conveyance order. Officers also apprehended four citizens of Ukraine, two of whom were pursued under formal arrest warrants and two under judicial conveyance orders. Following their detention, all 78 individuals were transported directly to remand centres or penitentiaries to serve outstanding prison sentences or face court-mandated preventive detention.

The detained persons are suspects or accused of committing crimes, as well as persons sentenced to imprisonment. Those captured by the police were sent to remand centres or penal institutions, where court-ordered sentences and preventive measures are being carried out.

Address inspections and missing persons located

During the execution of the operation, police units inspected more than 800 separate premises across several administrative districts. These inspected locations included more than 550 private houses and apartments alongside nearly 170 foreigner gathering sites, such as hostels and communal residences. In addition to arresting wanted fugitives, officers resolved 20 separate legal directives issued by courts and prosecutors to determine the whereabouts of individuals for legal proceedings. Search teams also located four missing persons whose files were active in police records during the operation. Furthermore, officers identified and secured one sought minor for compulsory transfer to a youth educational centre.

Operational frequency across the capital

The coordinated sweep on 20 August 2026 marked another round of enforcement measures managed by the Warsaw Metropolitan Police garrison. In late July 2026, an operation of similar scope resulted in the detention of 89 wanted persons across Warsaw and neighbouring regions. Police officials reported that prior intelligence gathering and continuous coordination across criminal and prevention departments enabled officers to verify hundreds of addresses in a single day. The metropolitan command carries out these multi-unit actions periodically to enforce outstanding court rulings, locate missing residents, and execute active arrest warrants across the Warsaw garrison.