Vastaamo hacking suspect extradited from France, Police seek remand in custody

The suspect of Psychotherapy Centre Vastaamo data hacking was extradited from France to Finland on Friday, said National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in a press release on Monday.

The NBI will request that the suspected of the computer break-in committed against Psychotherapy Centre Vastaamo be placed on remand by the Western Uusimaa District Court in Espoo on Tuesday.

The suspect has stayed abroad during the criminal investigation. The French police apprehended the suspect in a private apartment in Paris on 3 February, and the French authorities extradited him to Finland on Friday.

The police will request that the 25-year-old Finnish man be placed on remand and the request for remand is based on probable cause of aggravated extortion, aggravated computer break-in and aggravated dissemination of information violating personal privacy.

“The next steps in the criminal investigation include, among others, to interview the suspect, says Head of Investigation,” said Detective Chief Inspector Marko Leponen of the National Bureau of Investigation.

The police remind that the victims of the hacking case may still report the crime to the police and complete an electronic statement form. Instructions for the victims can be found on the websites of the Finnish Police and Victim Support Finland.

Earlier in October 2022, the Helsinki District Court remanded a Finnish man in absentia for his alleged involvement in the incident of Psychotherapy Centre Vastaamo data hacking.

The police estimate that around 10,000 victims have not yet reported the crime.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has been investigating into the incidents since autumn 2020.

The board of the psychotherapy centre Vastaamo in October, 2020 terminated the centre’s Chief Executive Officer Ville Tapio following the large-scale data hacking.