Customs forwards findings for charge-framing

The Finnish Customs has investigated into the activities of an organisation that reportedly smuggled and distributed 23 kilograms of amphetamine from the Netherlands to Finland.

The street market value of the narcotics would be about 590,000 euros, said an official press release.

In the late summer of 2017, the Finnish Customs seized 18 kilograms of amphetamine stashed in a terrain in Helsinki.

The narcotics had been brought into Finland by two couriers from Lithuania. The Customs immediately apprehended both the Lithuanian couriers and a Finnish man who picked up the narcotics stashed in the terrain. In addition, the Customs seized 20,000 euros in cash, which had been used to pay the couriers for the narcotics consignment.

Based on the preliminary investigation conducted by the Customs, five kilograms of amphetamine were brought into Finland earlier in the summer of 2017 and stashed in the same area in Helsinki.

According to the findings of the preliminary investigation conducted by the Customs, this consignment was sold in Finland. Five kilograms of the narcotic corresponds to approximately 50,000 doses.

During the preliminary investigation, five persons were detained in Finland in the case. The suspects are Finnish and Lithuanian citizens. One of the Lithuanian suspects was caught abroad and handed over to Finland based on a European warrant for arrest.

The preliminary investigation conducted by the Customs shows that the import of the amphetamine to Finland was arranged in Tallinn, Estonia between the Finnish main suspect and a Lithuanian citizen suspected of having arranged the smuggling. It is suspected that they met several times to make the arrangements for carrying out the smuggling.

The preliminary investigation also shows that the couriers who brought the narcotics to Finland were told to pick up the narcotics in the Netherlands, from where they were transported by car to Germany and onwards to Finland.

The Customs has investigated into the smuggling and distribution as several aggravated narcotics offences. The Customs has completed the preliminary investigations into the case and forwarded the matter to the Helsinki Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.