Criminal suspicions | Police: Hunters illegally killed animals, including a she-wolf – motivated by “general animal hatred”

Eastern Finland the police are investigating an extensive hunting crime complex.

The Eastern Finland police says in its press release that it currently suspects more than 20 people of hunting crimes that occurred between 2020 and 2023 in Pohjois Savo.

Most of the suspected crimes have taken place in the area of ​​Lapinlahti municipality.

During the preliminary investigation, the Pohjois Savo District Court has previously imprisoned eight suspects, of which only one is currently in custody.

The persons are suspected of, among other things, aggravated hunting crimes, hunting crimes, aggravated concealment of illegal catch, nature conservation and firearms crimes.

The suspected crimes include unauthorized killings of large game animals or attempted killings, as well as numerous killings of birds protected by the Nature Conservation Act, such as swans and hawks.

It is suspected that there are well over ten large beasts killed. Among the animals killed is also a female Unna wolf that was monitored by the Finnish Natural Resources Agency.

During the preliminary investigation, the police confiscated several vehicles and firearms from the suspects.

In addition, the police have seized dozens of weapons from the suspects. The police are now also investigating the suitability of gun license holders to possess firearms.

The police have also confiscated animal skins, carcasses, skulls and other animal parts related to suspected crimes.

Crime Commissioner Harri-Pekka Pohjolainen The Eastern Finland Police Department says that it is an exceptionally large hunting crime scene in Finnish history.

“There are both individual cases and cases that are related to each other. Sometimes we have been on the move with a bigger group and sometimes with a smaller one.”

Pohjolainen says that the skein started unraveling in connection with the preliminary investigation of another hunting crime. In this investigation, there were also indications of the events in Lapinlahti.

The spectrum of both investigated crimes and suspects is wide. According to Pohjolainen, the number of suspected crimes and the number of perpetrators may still increase.

Nordic according to the perpetrators are “ordinary Finnish men”. The age range extends from thirty to seventy.

The authors’ motives have also been multifaceted, says Pohjolainen.

“There has been general animal hatred. Or you wanted to protect the animals in your yard. Then there is also this kind of disregard for the law. We have sought excitement in life by hunting tranquilized animals.”

The police of Eastern Finland have investigated the criminal complex in cooperation with the Kainuu border guard. The criminal investigation is still ongoing.

Pohjolainen estimates that the preliminary investigation will be completed by the end of June.