A 55-year-old Russian citizen detained in Świdnica has been charged with acting on behalf of foreign intelligence and placed in custody for three months, police announced on Friday, October 30. The man photographed trains and railway infrastructure.
According to a statement from the Press Office of the Provincial Police Headquarters (KWP) in Wrocław, published on October 30, the detention took place during police operations securing a football match in Świdnica. After the game, officers patrolled the city, checking whether football hooligans were gathering. They then noticed a Volkswagen parked by an unguarded railway level crossing. On seeing the uniformed officers, the driver quickly drove away.
A Nervous Man by the Viaduct
The officers followed in the same direction and near a railway viaduct spotted the same car again. The man was standing beside the vehicle and, as police describe it, became visibly nervous, trying to quickly get back inside. During the intervention, it turned out he had professional photographic equipment, which he had used to take pictures of trains and railway infrastructure.
The man was taken to the Powiat Police Headquarters in Świdnica. There, it was established that he had come to Poland for professional reasons. Police did not say what this meant in practice.
Hundreds of Thousands of Files
Officers from the Wrocław branch of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime joined in analysing the seized storage media. According to police, they found hundreds of thousands of files on similar subjects. The photos reportedly included, among other things, important railway and transport infrastructure, including facilities classed as critical, not only in Poland.
Investigators also seized phones, laptops, high-capacity portable drives and several identity documents.
Charge and Arrest
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Świdnica charged the 55-year-old under Article 130 § 1 of the Penal Code. According to police, the charge concerns acting on behalf of foreign intelligence against Poland: the man allegedly photographed railway, transport and production infrastructure with the intention of passing the photos to a foreign intelligence service. Police note that the photos "could be used" against the state’s security.
At the prosecutor’s request, the court ordered temporary arrest for three months. This offence carries a penalty of at least 5 years in prison. The man is a suspect and has not been convicted. Police did not disclose his name or whether he admits the charge. The statement also does not say which intelligence service was supposed to receive the photos or exactly when the detention took place.
Context
This is another high-profile case involving suspected activity on behalf of foreign services. A few weeks ago, we reported on the arrest in Germany of two Turkish nationals after the arson of a Starlink station, which the Ministry of Interior and Administration (MSWiA) linked to sabotage on behalf of foreign intelligence.
What It Means
For residents and travellers, the case does not mean any changes to train services. Police have not reported any disruptions or additional restrictions. The law does not prohibit ordinary photography of trains. However, in this case, police say the scale of the material and the intention to pass it to a foreign intelligence service were the grounds for the charge. The investigation is ongoing, and the arrest remains in force for three months unless the court decides otherwise.
