Huge illegal pills recovered, 20 held

The police have confiscated some 400,000 illegal medical pills intended for intoxication purposes, the police said on Wednesday.

The police are investigating a major European criminal organization that has brought illegal medical pills for street sales in Finland. The Rivotril pills are originally for treatment of epilepsy.

Senior criminal police inspector Jukka Paasio told national broadcaster Yle that the confiscation is large in European perspective. Currently 20 people have been in detention, and they are all foreigners.

"This is totally professional criminality, managed from continental Europe," Paasio said.

The pills had been brought to Finland hidden in private cars, said the police.