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Do Not go strip clubbing in Poland.

shadowcat

Atlanta suburb

Officers from the Police Central Investigation Bureau (CBSP) have arrested a further seven people as part of a nationwide investigation into extortion at Polish strip clubs.

There have been a number of well-reported cases of strip-club customers in Poland either being forced to pay exorbitant prices for drinks, or of being drugged so criminals could use their bank cards.

"The prosecutor has charged the seven detainees with participation in an organised crime group and committing a number of incidents of robbery and extortion against customers of clubs that operated in Krakow and Warsaw," the press service of the National Prosecution said on Thursday.

The group's victims were often given psychoactive substances in their drinks so that later they could pay exorbitant prices for drinks and services at the clubs. When they came round, they often found their bank accounts completely wiped out

Spokeswoman of the CBSP, Iwona Jurkiewicz, told PAP that "the perpetrators, taking advantage of the psychophysical state of the victims, made payment transactions using payment cards or other financial instruments for goods and services allegedly offered in the club."

She added that, in some cases, the client's devices were used to take loans or transfer funds accumulated in the clients' saving accounts to the accounts of companies running the clubs.

The detained people include club managers and employees.

"The charges were presented both to persons who directly committed the crimes on the premises of the clubs, including waitresses and dancers, but also the managers of premises who supervised... prohibited acts to the detriment of club customers," the National Prosecution (PK) said.

The managers were also liaisons between the club's staff and the so-called 'guardian' from a monitoring centre, whose tasks included motivating subordinate employees to commit crimes as well as disciplining and punishing waitresses and dancers for acts that could harm the criminal group, the PK added.

The recent arrests are part of a larger police operation. In May, 2022, a strip club criminal group was busted in raids on 22 locations across the country. There are already 58 suspects in the whole case, who have heard a total of over 700 different charges. Since then, 31 arrests have been made.

As part of the investigation police are looking into the death of a 36-year-old British citizen who died from alcohol poisoning after spending a few hours in the Wild Night club in Krakow. Four other people were previously detained in relation to this incident.