8 suspected of human trafficking, 6 victims identified

Eight people are suspected of human trafficking and six victims were identified, said the National Police Board in a press release on Thursday.

In June, Finnish authorities participated in the international action days against trafficking in human beings and labour exploitation. The action was targeted at cleaning companies, and more than a thousand locations were checked.

The joint action took place from 15 to 21 of June with operational activities by nine police departments in Finland.

The action was carried out jointly by the police, Border Guard and the Regional State Administrative Agency. The National Bureau of Investigation coordinated the activities by supporting the planning and synchronization of operational activities.

The total number of targets checked in Finland was 1,087; of which 470 were people and 128 locations. The locations. The locations included shops, hotels, shopping centres, warehouses, car washes, schools, kindergartens, restaurants and private dwellings.

“Of course, even one case is too many, but looking at the overall situation in the cleaning industry, the action week showed that the situation is good. There were many locations where there was nothing to complain about; quite the contrary, the situation was excellent. However, work-related trafficking in human beings is by nature the dark figure of crime,” said detective chief inspector Petri Partanen of the National Bureau of Investigation.