Poland enforces a law to crack down on illegal timber imports

 Wednesday, January 7, 2026

The European wood products industry is witnessing a watershed moment in the enforcement of trade restrictions. Five people have been arrested and accused in an extensive probe headed by the Gdańsk District Prosecutor’s Office for their role in a large-scale plot to import illegal timber products from Belarus and Russia.

The arrests, which took place just before the close of 2025 and were made public in early January 2026, represent the first major strike against an underground network that has long undermined the European timber market. The suspects—comprising both Polish and Russian citizens—are accused of orchestrating the illegal transit of plywood and wooden mouldings, directly violating the EU sanctions introduced following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The investigation, a collaborative effort involving the Maritime Border Guard Unit and the Pomeranian Customs and Tax Office, peeled back the layers of a sophisticated logistics operation designed to “wash” the origin of Russian timber.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the criminal network employed several distinct tactics to evade detection:

• Falsifying country of origin: Shipments were documented as originating from “neutral” third countries, most notably Kazakhstan and Turkey, to exploit trade routes not subject to the same level of scrutiny.
• Customs code disguise: Importers mislabelled products using incorrect tariff codes. By reclassifying hardwood birch plywood as less-regulated wood categories, the shipments bypassed automated sanction triggers.
• Simulated “pre-sanction” contracts: The group allegedly backdated contracts to make it appear that deliveries were being made under legacy agreements permitted during the initial wind-down periods of the 2022 sanctions.

The case against the five detainees is backed by an unprecedented volume of technical and forensic evidence. Polish authorities were supported by OLAF (the European Anti-Fraud Office) and the European Commission, highlighting the cross-border nature of the crime.

Key evidence seized during the raids includes:

1. Digital forensics: Over 100 digital data carriers, including hard drives and encrypted communication devices, were recovered, providing a trail of the logistical coordination.
2. Laboratory analysis: Wood sample analysis—often involving isotopic or DNA testing—was used to prove that the timber fibres originated from Russian and Belarusian forests rather than the claimed Kazakh regions.
3. Mutual legal assistance: Documents obtained through international cooperation with authorities in Kazakhstan helped confirm that the volumes being exported far exceeded the domestic production capacity of the purported source factories.

Under Polish law, the gravity of these charges is significant. If convicted, the suspects face prison sentences ranging from three to 30 years, reflecting the state’s commitment to treating sanctions evasion as a major threat to national and economic security.

The news of the arrests has sent shockwaves through the European forestry sector, where honest producers have struggled to compete with “grey market” imports. Marek Janke, President of the Management Board at Paged Plywood, one of the region’s leading manufacturers, expressed strong support for the judicial action.

“We welcome the fact that criminal and fiscal offences aimed at circumventing sanctions… are being effectively tackled by Polish law enforcement,” Janke stated. “Today’s announcement by the Prosecutor’s Office marks a turning point for our industry, a moment that shows accountability does not stop at the border.”

Janke noted that while this is the first large-scale public action, it is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Industry intelligence suggests that a dozen similar proceedings are currently underway across Poland, involving both domestic firms and foreign entities.

“Importantly, all signs point to the fact that not only importers, but also companies that knowingly used illegally imported plywood on the market, will be held accountable,” Janke added. This indicates a shift toward prosecuting the entire supply chain, including wholesalers and construction firms that turn a blind eye to suspicious “bargain” pricing.

The presence of illegal Russian birch plywood has depressed market prices for years, making it difficult for European mills to justify the costs of sustainable, legally sourced timber. By removing these illegal volumes, authorities hope to restore a competitive equilibrium.

As of early 2026, the wood industry is bracing for further arrests. The message from Gdańsk is clear: the era of “business as usual” through sanction loopholes has come to a definitive end. For clients and public institutions, the risk of being associated with “blood timber” has moved from a moral concern to a severe legal liability.

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Tags: Belarusian plywood sanctions, EU timber regulation, illegal plywood imports Russia, OLAF wood investigation, Polish wood industry sanctions, timber sanctions evasion