Priest, physician arrested in Poland over massive fentanyl trafficking scheme

Polish authorities have arrested 16 individuals suspected of belonging to an organized criminal network involved in the large-scale distribution of fentanyl and other narcotics. Among those detained are a doctor and a Catholic priest.

Law enforcement officers seized more than 150,000 opioid tablets and ampoules during coordinated searches, official sources confirmed, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Investigators believe the group operated across the entire country. Narcotics were marketed through the darknet, online advertising platforms, and encrypted messaging services. Distribution relied on courier companies, with couriers simultaneously transporting prescription drugs and cash payments, effectively circumventing the formal banking system.

Among the suspects is a married couple from the Greater Poland Voivodeship, alleged to have supplied more than 600 packages of fentanyl, a similar quantity of morphine, and over 2,000 packages of oxycodone to the illicit market.

Investigators accuse a doctor from the Lublin Voivodeship of issuing more than 1,500 prescriptions in exchange for bribes while falsifying medical documentation. A priest from the Masovian Voivodeship is alleged to have acted as an intermediary between clients and the physician and to have assisted in preparing fraudulent prescriptions for buyers.

A court has ordered the pre-trial detention of 12 of the 16 suspects as the investigation continues.

By Vafa Guliyeva