Highlanders smuggled horses into Slovakia in the 1980s. Profits were enormous
In the Polish People's Republic, smuggling at most borders drew goods into Poland. In the Podhale region it was the opposite — local highlanders illegally exported horses to Slovakia.
Podhale as an exception in the smuggling map of the Polish People's Republic
According to Onet, in the 1980s the Polish People's Republic struggled with severe commodity shortages. Smuggling at most borders operated in one direction — goods reached Poland, not outward.
Podhale constituted an exception. Highlanders from this region conducted illegal cross-border trade in horses, exporting them to Slovakia. The reasons for such an operation were, according to Onet, surprising.
Details concerning the scale of the operation and the motivations of the smugglers are available exclusively in the full version of the material for Onet Premium subscribers.
Source: Onet