Former Šalčininkai police officer: I slept with a gun, stole files from the safe

Former Šalčininkai police officer Jan Kučynskis, now working as a lawyer, says corruption and contraband in the region were no secret, according to an interview with ELTA.

Kučynskis, a long-time officer in Šalčininkai, told ELTA that many were likely aware of possible collaboration between officers and smugglers but lacked the courage to expose it. He criticised proposals to rotate police officers in border regions, calling the idea expensive and impractical.

“I think quality would drop immediately, and many social problems would arise. Consider the cost and effort for travel, fuel, accommodation. Now they want to make Šalčininkai a second-rate district. Recently, the heads of the Šalčininkai police commissariat and prosecutors have come from Vilnius. What’s the result? Maybe local leadership would be better,” Kučynskis said.

He described the recent corruption scandal in Šalčininkai police as a lesson for the state, urging stronger control. “This is a big lesson for the police and the state. The state must take control. Those involved in contraband will be caught sooner or later and face severe penalties,” he said.

Kučynskis attributed the prevalence of contraband in Šalčininkai to its geographic location. He noted that smuggling cases involving sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, and metal were common in the early days of independence. He recalled challenges such as criminal groups from Kaunas and Panevėžys targeting smugglers, as well as impostors posing as police officers to extort goods from residents.

“In the 90s, smugglers transported alcohol not just in containers but in hidden tanks in trucks, carrying 3-5 tonnes at a time. Once, we checked a small truck that had crossed the border about 20 times. How much contraband had it brought in before being stopped?” he said.

Smugglers often had financial resources to hire top lawyers, making prosecutions difficult. Kučynskis recalled cases where four smugglers would be detained, only for four high-profile lawyers from Vilnius to arrive shortly after.