Georgian "vor/thief-in-law" detained in Poland, investigation ongoing

As was also noted in today's crime roundup, a wanted thief-in-law (vor v zakone) was arrested in Poland, with police noting a successful raid that netted a wanted Georgian crime boss in Nowy Konik, near Warsaw on May 16.

Weapons, ammunition and forged documents were recovered during the raid, and, according to police, this veritable armory included a Glock 34 pistol, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a scope, a 20-60, a speed loader and a laser rangefinder. A total of seven persons were arrested, all of whom were believed to be linked to the gang.

Mobile phones, jamming equipment and fake IDs were also seized, and there were reports by some Polish media that the thief-in-law arrested, who is wanted for crimes in Georgia, was planning an assassination, although details were scant. The investigation is considered to still be ongoing.

Police noted that close to 2,000 Georgians were arrested in Poland in 2024, with crimes including arms and narcotics trafficking and extortion.

This is not the first vor who has been arrested in Poland, with Igor P., also suspected of being a crowned vor, having been detained in 2020. Likewise, Spain and France have noted arrests of vory and associated gangs sometimes consisting of scores of associated criminals. Noteworthy is that a number of vory migrated West during the time when Russia and former soviet states influenced by Russia clamped down on the the thieves-in-law, following, some believe, rampant corruption and stolen funds during the Sochi Winter Olympics. This also roughly coincided with the US Barack Obama presidency designating members of the Brothers' Circle a top crime threat to the US.

And for those interested in the arrest, check out the segment in this edition of TVP World (at about the 15:30 mark), which also features a couple of appearances by Yours Truly.

Preston Smith is a licensed investigator based in Gdansk, Poland. He can be reached at query@cddi.pl.