Finland continues to record attempts to illegally export goods to Russia that are subject to sanctions due to the war against Ukraine. Despite the border closure a year ago, such cases are still occurring, according to Finnish customs data.
This information war reported by Yle.
Since 2022, Finnish authorities have initiated over 900 pre-trial investigations for the illegal export of sanctioned goods.
Before the war against Ukraine, such violations were detected only a few times a year. In 2024, their number decreased due to the closure of the Finnish-Russian border but did not stop completely.
The cases involving fines primarily concern individuals who have transported small amounts of sanctioned goods across the border. These individuals have typically moved luxury items rather than equipment needed by the military.
The remaining offenses are either basic or serious violations. What distinguishes serious regulatory violations is the planned, systematic nature and the pursuit of significant financial gain. These often involve equipment needed on the front lines.
For example, in late autumn, customs began investigating a criminal case where an Eastern Finnish company transported drones, sonar equipment, processors, and other sanctioned electronics worth several hundred thousand euros to Russia. The goods were mostly purchased from U.S. online stores, flown to Finland by air freight, stored in Eastern Finland, and then transported by road to Russia in several batches.
The perpetrators in such cases are typically small or medium-sized export or logistics companies.
In planned cases, criminals often attempt to deceive authorities about the content of shipments or their destination. For instance, sanctioned goods are declared as being sent to Central Asia or the Balkans, but in reality, they are heading to Russia.
This tactic was used, for example, by a suspected businessman from Vantaa, whose two companies exported sanctioned goods, such as thousands of drones, to Russia. Many of these items were declared as being sent to Kazakhstan, but they are suspected to have actually gone to Russia.
In 2024, the closure of the eastern border significantly reduced sanctions violations. However, they did not stop entirely.
