The Border Guard Service of Finland is investigating about 20 cases of organizing illegal entry into Finland from the border with Russia. There are 35 suspects involved in illegal border crossings and trafficking.
This was reported by Yle.
The situations involve instances where asylum seekers are illegally transported for money to their intended destinations and documents are arranged for their entry or exit. Some of the investigated cases are related to the trafficking of illegal immigrants through Finland to other European countries.
Earlier, the Finnish Border Guard stated that smugglers mostly operate remotely from abroad. However, among the suspects are also individuals residing in Finland: citizens of Iraq, Syria, and Russia. In many cases, organized crime is involved.
Most of the cases were opened in November-December 2023 when over a thousand asylum seekers from third countries arrived in Finland through the border with Russia. Since August 2023, 1,300 refugees from 29 countries have entered Finland in this manner.
