TRAFFIC IN STRATEGIC MATERIALS THROUGH POLISH PORTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002000420004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 12, 2002
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 14, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2002/07/15 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002000420004-9
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This Document contains information lffectipg the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within thr mean-
Ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S.(-ode, as
INFORMATION REPORT amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorised person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
SECRET/CONTROL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
COUNTRY Poland/:1188R... ~./China/Netherlands/Belgium
Yugoslavia/Chile
SUBJECT Traffic in Strategic Materials Through
Polish Ports
25X1
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
14 August 1953
NO. OF PAGES 1
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
25X1X
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
ere has been a noteworthy amount of shipping aboard Russian and Polish ships
from the ports of Gydnia, Danzig and Stettin, shipping that has been directed to
China. The material consisted mostly of railroad material, buses,. trucks and
tractors. Many large cases which came from Czechoslovakia were believed to con-
tain airplane parts, motors and light arms. Great numbers of zinc barrels with
black edges, which were thought to contain jet fuel, were also bound for China.
2. At Stettin, the loading takes place from an island near the port. In the other
two ports, the loading is carried on in isolated zones of the ports. In all
cases, the public is forbidden access to the loading zones.
3. Considerable material, particularly copper and aluminum, arrives in Poland from
the Western countries. Some of the copper arrives in Poland in ships of Russian
or Polish nationality, or in ships flying the flags of such countries as Panama,
Honduras, et cetera. In such cases, the copper is covered by bills of lading
showing Hamburg or Antwerp as destination points. At sea, however, such bills
of lading are altered or replaced by others which indicate the destinations to
be Poland or Russia. Ship owners, other than Polish and Russian, engage in bill
of lading switches, probably for an increase in freight charges.
4.1' Copper also arrives in Poland through transshipment at Rotterdam and Antwerp,
where it regularly arriveslin transitNfrom Chile and Central America. The copper
is reloaded, with bills of lading directed to various Baltic countries, on ships
which then make port in Poland or Russia. Swiss ships have reportedly taken part
in this aspect of the trade.
25X1A
5. The handling of aluminum follows the same lines as in the case of copper. Much
of the aluminum oames originally from Yugoslavia.
6, The financial backing and arrangements for all large shipments are handled through
the Banque Commerciale Pour L'Europe du Nord, which has its headquarters in Paris.
This bank has a monopoly on such arrangements covering strategic material traffic
with Iron Curtain countries, a traffic which is organized by various Swiss Agents.
SECRET/CONTROL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
STATE x ARMY X NAVY X AIR X FBI J JAEC
617 lit I
(Nc:... Wa. igton Distribution Indicated By "X"; Field Distribution By "#".)
Approved For Release 2002/07/15 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002000420004-9