5 held for smuggling meth from Lithuania

Five people – two Finns and three Lithuanians – have been detained on charge of smuggling methamphetamine from Lithuania to Finland.

The Customs authorities also recovered more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine worth about EUR 420,000, said a Customs press release on Wednesday.

Customs received criminal intelligence in April 2017 concerning a drug smuggling operation going on at that time. Based on the information, Customs launched an operation that resulted in the capture of five persons and the seizure of 10,533g of amphetamine and 7,000 euros in cash in Helsinki.

In connection with the case, Customs officers conducted house searches and seized a small quantity of other narcotics, and found a small cannabis farm.

The methamphetamine seized by Customs was smuggled from Lithuania to Finland and was handed over to a person in Helsinki who waited for the consignment.

The content of the seized methamphetamine was 39-42 per cent. Had the consignment been extended, it would have produced at least a double quantity of methamphetamine worth more than 420,000 euros in the street market.

Customs has investigated the smuggling as an aggravated narcotics offence and, as concerns the drugs seized in the house searches, as a standard narcotics offence. Five persons have been detained in connection with the case, including Finnish and Lithuanian citizens. The suspects are aged between 20 and 40.

During the preliminary investigation, Finnish Customs cooperated with Lithuanian Customs authorities and the police departments of Western Uusimaa and Häme.

Customs has completed the preliminary investigation into the case and forwarded the matter to the Helsinki Prosecutors’ Office for consideration of charges.