Police foil attack against political leaders years ago

Police on Friday confirmed media reports that an attack against political leaders was prevented some years ago.

National police commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen said the person planning to carry out the attack had been apprehended just when he was starting to mount the attack.

Kolehmainen said the plan had been uncovered through police intelligence work.

He did not specify exactly where and when the attack was envisaged to take place, but said the pre-empted plan would have been deployable.

Kolehmainen could not describe later stages of the process following the detention of the planner.

The news about the police intervention two years ago was published first by the evening newspaper Iltalehti late Friday and confirmed by the police a few hours later.

Jari Ylitalo, the government security director, was unwilling to comment on the incident.