WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A high-ranking army officer and a civilian have been detained and questioned on suspicion that they spied for a hostile foreign intelligence service, officials said Thursday.
Polish media reported that the two — an army colonel and a lawyer — are suspected of spying for Russia, but prosecutors have refused to identify the country in question.
Prosecutor General Andrzej Seremet said that the matter is of an “extremely sensitive nature.” He promised more information in the coming days. Some details were expected Friday.
Seremet said that the two were detained after months of investigation and that they are suspected of “hurting Poland’s interests.”
Spying for foreign intelligence carries a prison term of up to 10 years. Organizers of spying rings can face up to 25 years in prison.
Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said several army members suspected of drug smuggling were also detained. He called it “an important day in the fight for the purity of the Polish army.”
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