Millions lost over illegal alcohol imports
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
18.07.2011 12:25
It has been estimated that the state has lost billions of zloty in customs duties, after importers managed to funnel concentrated alcohol from Ukraine under the pretext that it was cleaning fluid.
Research carried out by the Rzeczpospolita daily claims that Polish importers made a fortune out of the scam, knocking out five bottles of vodka from one litre of the concentrated spirit.
The Supreme Audit Office (NIK) has already estimated that the state lost about 3 billion zloty (745 million euro) in excise duties between 2004-2007. However, customs officials cite that until the end of 2010, concentrated spirit continued to be exported to Poland from Ukraine without full duties.
Customs officials have calculated that between 2004-2009, about 80 million litres of the alcohol came over the border to Poland via the border crossing point in Medyka. By listing the goods as window cleaning fluid, importers managed to avoid paying excise duties.
In 2007, the government attempted to curb the practice, by insisting that two types of contaminating agents were added to the spirit, rendering the alcohol undrinkable. However, customs officials maintain that importers found ways of getting round the regulations. (nh/jb)