Swedish Org accused of smuggling drugs to Finland, 13 held

A Swedish organisation is suspected of smuggling hundreds of kilos of narcotics into Finland, and these narcotics have been distributed onwards by street gangs, said police in a press release on Friday.

Helsinki Police is finalising two pre-trial investigations relating to Swedish organised crime and gang crime.

The organisation brought more than 300 kilos of drugs into Finland in 2025, and the cases will be submitted for the consideration of charges soon.

People coming from Sweden are suspected of having supplied large quantities of various drugs out of apartments in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Based on international cooperation and investigations by the police, the investigation team identified several individuals who were mainly linked to a Swedish criminal organisation and who received and distributed very large quantities of narcotics in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

During the pre-trial investigation, the police seized 220 kilos of amphetamines, around 50 kilos of cocaine, almost 400,000 pharmaceutical items classified as narcotics, and firearms from the apartments used by the suspects.

“The pre-trial investigation indicated that the case is linked to international drug crime led from abroad, with individuals connected to Finnish street gangs also involved in various roles. The pre-trial investigation was carried out in cooperation with the Swedish police in particular, and as the investigation progressed, the Norwegian police were also involved,” said Senior Detective Superintendent and head investigator Masi Puolakka in the press release.

The total 30 people, mostly Swedish and Somali nationals living in Finland are suspected of narcotics and firearms offences in the case and 13 of them are currently in the custody.

The investigation started after a shooting in Puustellinmäki, Espoo, on Christmas Eve in 2024.

During this pre-trial investigation, the team learned that the suspects in the shooting case were also suspected of receiving and distributing drugs obtained from a Swedish organisation.

In total, the police suspect that dozens of kilos of various drugs were acquired and sold in 2024 and 2025.

“Based on the pre-trial investigation, the street gang members are suspected to have purchased narcotics from the Swedes in batches of one or two kilos and moved them on quickly,” said Senior Detective Superintendent of the Helsinki Police Department Marko Forss.

The street gang is suspected of having stored drugs, firearms, and money, mainly in short-term rented apartments in various parts of the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Nine people linked to the street gang have been arrested in connection with the case, seven of whom are still in custody.

About a kilo of cocaine, smaller quantities of other drugs, three handguns, and about €70,000 in cash were seized during the pre-trial investigation into the street gang.