Polish military academy student suspected of spying: official

A Polish military academy student has been detained on suspicion of espionage, Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said on Monday, confirming media reports.

Cezary TomczykPrzemysław Chmielewski/Polish Radio

Tomczyk said the man, a student at the Military Medical Academy in the central city of Łódź, is suspected of spying for a foreign intelligence service.

The suspect, who holds both Polish and Ukrainian citizenship, was detained several days ago, Tomczyk said.

Poland’s Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported earlier that the man was detained on Friday on orders from the Łódź-Polesie District Prosecutor’s Office.

The man was taking an officers’ course at the Military Medical Academy in Łódź.

Several phones, sets of documents and stamps, as well as a large amount of cash and gold, were found in his possession, according to the report.

„I can confirm that a student at the Military Medical Academy has been detained,” Tomczyk told reporters on Monday.

He added that the man was interested in the inner workings of „certain installations in the Polish military.”

He praised the „swift response” by military police and said everyone should remain vigilant and consider whether events around them should raise concerns.

„We live in difficult times, which is why this case is so important,” Tomczyk said.

He said the man had obtained Polish citizenship some time ago and was also a Ukrainian citizen.

Poland’s Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) is investigating the case and remains „in contact with the Ukrainian side,” he said.

Over the past three years, Poland has detained 50 suspected saboteurs and agents involved in subversive activities, according to Tomczyk.

He said they were being held in Polish detention centres and prisons and that information obtained from them was helping authorities identify more suspects.

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Source: IAR/PAP, TVP Info

Radio Poland