In the suspected crimes, they have tried to benefit from the fact that the Russian authorities help people to the Finnish border, says the head of the crime prevention unit, Antti Raassina.
Gulf of Finland The Coast Guard has opened five investigations into suspected human smuggling that took advantage of the situation on the eastern border. The head of the crime prevention unit, captain Antti Raassina says that in the examinations, the criminal title is grossly organizing illegal immigration.
According to Raassina, the suspected crimes were aimed at benefiting from the fact that the Russian authorities help people to the Finnish border.
“When people were brought to and across the border during the early winter, people smugglers have seen it as an opportunity to organize people from the Middle East to Russia, and this opens up a route for these people to reach the Schengen area,” says Raassina.
“Smuggling is always about finding a way through which it can travel, and the border security situation on the eastern border has opened up an opportunity that can be exploited.”
Raassina says that the five ongoing investigations are separate at this stage, but they aim to find out whether it is the same or independent criminal organizations.
“Operationally, the situation in the investigations is now quite intense, and I would estimate that these will not be included in those five cases.”
Human smuggling According to Raassina, the suspected criminal organizations have operated in the Middle East and from Russia and Finland.
“People have been organized for considerable monetary compensation from the Middle East to Russia and from Russia to Finland. We also have a doubt that it will continue from Finland to the rest of Europe, that is, Finland is also a transit country.”
Some of the suspects are still unknown. Raassina says that the number of suspects is currently talking about individual people, but the number will still increase. He does not comment on the suspects' nationalities.
According to Raassina, the investigations concern the arrangement of hundreds of people across the eastern border to Finland. He says that hundreds of people have also been tried to move on from Finland.
The Gulf of Finland Coast Guard's investigations focus on the activities of suspected human smugglers, starting with the people's countries of origin.
“The activity has started in the countries of origin, continued through a small detour to Russia and from there to the Finnish-Russian border and Finland, where asylum has mainly been sought. When the trip has been paid to a country that is not necessarily Finland, the trip continues to the actual destination country. We have this entire chain under investigation.”
As a rat says that at this stage it is difficult to analyze the motives of the people who set off on the journey of human smugglers.
“On a general level, it can be said that people have different reasons for applying to the Schengen area and seeking asylum or a better life. It cannot be ruled out whether there are also security risks involved.”
Raassina says that a criminal investigation team has been established in the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard, which focuses solely on the arrangement of entry into the country that took advantage of the situation on the eastern border. Cooperation is carried out with other administrative units of the Border Guard, the Central Criminal Police (KRP) and, among other things, the European Police Authority Europol.
The Finnish Gulf Coast Guard is an administrative unit under the Finnish Border Guard. Head of Unit Tomi Kivenjuuri The staff of the Border Guard reported on Wednesday To Ylethat in relation to the situation on the eastern border, there are also four ongoing investigations into the organization of illegal immigration and one into the organization of aggravated illegal immigration.
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