Polish authorities have uncovered an organised crime network that allegedly earned over 22.5 million złoty (approximately £4.5 million) by selling fake university credentials and helping foreigners obtain Polish residence permits under false pretences, according to Bankier.pl.
The scheme, allegedly run by Michaił P., a former director of a Collegium Humanum branch in Uzbekistan, operated from 2017 until late September 2024. Investigators believe the operation went far beyond the fake diploma scandal at Collegium Humanum that emerged earlier this year.
How the system worked
The mechanism was straightforward, according to prosecutors. Foreigners—primarily from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, but also from Georgia, India and China—paid the group to arrange documents allowing legal residence in Poland. In return, they would be registered as students at Polish institutions or receive paperwork confirming fictitious employment.
Investigators estimate the network produced at least 1,500 forged diplomas, generating over 850,000 złoty in direct profit from the credentials alone. However, the far larger sums came from the broader system of organising foreigners’ stays in Poland, which allegedly brought in at least 22.5 million złoty.
According to Rzeczpospolita, some cash was brought into Poland directly from abroad. Michaił P. allegedly personally transported money in bags, exploiting the rule that allows travellers to carry up to €10,000 across borders without declaration.
Property empire under scrutiny
Poland’s General Inspector of Financial Information is now examining several hundred apartments in Warsaw that may have been purchased with proceeds from the scheme. Investigators believe the money was concealed through shell companies and fictitious loans, according to the newspaper’s findings.
The property portfolio represents a key element of the money-laundering investigation, with authorities working to trace how millions of złoty were channelled into real estate to disguise the illicit origin of the funds.
Security concerns over FSB officer
The case also raises national security questions. Among those allegedly brought to Poland using false documents was a former officer of Russia’s FSB intelligence service, wanted in Russia in connection with embezzlement. Polish security services reportedly do not know his current whereabouts.
Rzeczpospolita notes that authorities have been unable to locate a number of foreigners brought into the country by the criminal group, raising further concerns about who may have entered Poland under the scheme and for what purpose.
At the end of September, Poland’s Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) and Border Guard detained 11 people in connection with the investigation. Six have been remanded in custody. Michaił P. and Radosław Z. have been charged with leading an organised criminal group. The investigation is ongoing and multi-faceted, with prosecutors indicating the scope may be considerably broader than initially thought.
What this means for Poles in Poland
This investigation highlights vulnerabilities in Poland’s visa and education systems that allowed large-scale document fraud to continue for years. Anyone who studied at or had dealings with Collegium Humanum or associated institutions should be aware that diplomas issued by these bodies may be under scrutiny. Employers should verify the credentials of recent hires, particularly if degrees were obtained from little-known private institutions.
The case also underscores concerns about how organised crime networks exploit legal migration channels, potentially allowing individuals—including those with security service backgrounds—to enter and remain in Poland undetected. Polish authorities are working to identify and locate foreigners who entered the country through this network, which operated for at least seven years before being dismantled.
