Red Tape Hot Box on Ants
This time, however, my attention will be focused on all those goods that find their way to this notorious market.
According to all the reports and statistics, it would appear that a positive trend is developing and that the level of contraband on our borders, especially the eastern one, is actually falling. Our border guards are much better equipped and specialized than they used to be, which has led to an increase in how effectively they combat smuggling. What's more, corruption seems to be on the decline as fewer and fewer guards appear to be taking bribes.
Nevertheless, these impressive results are not entirely mirrored in everyday life and, no matter what bazaar you go to, you can be sure of finding plenty of contraband goods there. This is due to the fact that a large number of these counterfeit or illegal products are smuggled in small quantities by people known as mrówki - or ants. Some of them travel even two or three times a day through border checkpoints in order to bring as many goods with them as possible. Others find ingenious and cunning methods of bringing in their contraband. When I recently came back by train from Czech Republic, I noticed a man in my compartment who was wearing a thick jacket throughout the whole trip to the border. The poor chap was evidently very warm and I could see beads of sweat running across his face in streams, though the thought of taking off his coat somehow never crossed his mind. Yet as soon as the duty officers had vanished from sight and our train moved on, he suddenly removed his sartorial burden and to my surprise I saw that his whole upper body was covered with bottles of alcohol that were wrapped around his chest with tape. To be honest, had we been somewhere in the Middle East I would certainly have taken him to be a suicide bomber who was on his final mission. Fortunately, all that happened was that we ended up drinking one of his 'grenades' in celebration of the successfully completed smuggling mission.
Border and duty officers are unable to control everyone and every item of luggage because this would mean days rather than hours to cross the border. But the truth is that it is in fact the government that is responsible for such high levels of smuggling. For as long as the custom duties and excises remain high, there will always be lots of contraband. Only if custom duties are decreased will breaking the law no longer pay for Poland's army of ants.
According to all the reports and statistics, it would appear that a positive trend is developing and that the level of contraband on our borders, especially the eastern one, is actually falling. Our border guards are much better equipped and specialized than they used to be, which has led to an increase in how effectively they combat smuggling. What's more, corruption seems to be on the decline as fewer and fewer guards appear to be taking bribes.
Nevertheless, these impressive results are not entirely mirrored in everyday life and, no matter what bazaar you go to, you can be sure of finding plenty of contraband goods there. This is due to the fact that a large number of these counterfeit or illegal products are smuggled in small quantities by people known as mrówki - or ants. Some of them travel even two or three times a day through border checkpoints in order to bring as many goods with them as possible. Others find ingenious and cunning methods of bringing in their contraband. When I recently came back by train from Czech Republic, I noticed a man in my compartment who was wearing a thick jacket throughout the whole trip to the border. The poor chap was evidently very warm and I could see beads of sweat running across his face in streams, though the thought of taking off his coat somehow never crossed his mind. Yet as soon as the duty officers had vanished from sight and our train moved on, he suddenly removed his sartorial burden and to my surprise I saw that his whole upper body was covered with bottles of alcohol that were wrapped around his chest with tape. To be honest, had we been somewhere in the Middle East I would certainly have taken him to be a suicide bomber who was on his final mission. Fortunately, all that happened was that we ended up drinking one of his 'grenades' in celebration of the successfully completed smuggling mission.
Border and duty officers are unable to control everyone and every item of luggage because this would mean days rather than hours to cross the border. But the truth is that it is in fact the government that is responsible for such high levels of smuggling. For as long as the custom duties and excises remain high, there will always be lots of contraband. Only if custom duties are decreased will breaking the law no longer pay for Poland's army of ants.
