Finnish court sentences 27 people for drug crimes, most from Estonia and Latvia
The Eastern Uusimaa District Court found that an organised criminal group had smuggled drugs from Estonia and Latvia into Finland.
Finnish court sentences 27 people for drug crimes, most from Estonia and Latvia
The Eastern Uusimaa District Court delivered its verdict on Thursday in an exceptionally large criminal case in which 27 people were sentenced for serious drug offences. Most received prison sentences. Some defendants were found guilty of violent crimes, large-scale money laundering, smuggling and firearms offences, according to ERR News.
Only a small fraction of those sentenced are Finnish citizens. The majority are from Estonia and Latvia.
According to the verdict, an organised criminal group smuggled drugs from Estonia and Latvia into Finland between March 2023 and October 2025. The drugs were hidden in cars that were brought to Finland by ferry. Lorries were also used in the smuggling operation.
The vehicles were taken to a garage in Tuusula, where the drug shipments were unloaded and distributed, primarily to flats in Espoo. Drugs were also hidden in caches built in storage facilities and forests throughout Uusimaa.
Two of the longest prison sentences – 13 years each – were given to two men who, according to the court, played a central role in the importation and distribution of drugs.
According to ERR News, gang members who violated the rules were punished with violence. One man was convicted of assault and aggravated assault, another of aggravated assault. The verdict states that one man suffered a broken arm, and another was beaten with a hammer.
The quantities of drugs brought into Finland and distributed there were substantial. According to police investigation, approximately 600 kilogrammes of various drugs were smuggled into Finland, including approximately 200 kilogrammes of alpha-PVP.
Estimated at street prices, the criminal proceeds totalled up to 40 million euros.
The verdict is not yet final.
Source: ERR News