8 face arson charges for fire at Helsinki building hosting bicycle shop

Eight suspects are facing charges for setting fire at a residential building hosting a bicycle shop at Lauttasaari Helsinki in March this year, said police on Monday after completion of the pre-trial investigation.

According to the Helsinki Police Department's pre-trial investigation, the bicycle shop was deliberately set on fire on 3 March 2026.

The bicycle shop was located on the ground floor of the building at Pajalahdentie area and the building fire was large.

In addition to the bicycle shop, the residential flats in the building suffered extensive fire and smoke damage.

The offence under investigation is aggravated criminal mischief. A total of ten people are suspects in the pre-trial investigation and eight of them are now moving to consideration of charges.

Two of the suspects are wanted persons, but they have not yet been located.

Speculation reported in the media about the motive for the act has not been confirmed or ruled out during the pre-trial investigation.

"According to the pre-trial investigation, the fire was started by two men who were both 17 years old at the time. One is a citizen of Iraq, and the other is a citizen of Finland, but both live in Finland. Based on the pre-trial investigation, the act was carried out as a commissioned job," said investigator in charge, Detective Superintendent Olli-Pekka Punkari.

Three people living abroad are suspected of having influenced those behind the act. One of them, an Iraqi citizen, was apprehended in the United Kingdom and extradited to Finland in June 2026. He remains remanded in custody.

The other people involved are suspected of having engaged in preparatory offences ahead of the arson, by carrying out various actions to make the crime possible. A firearm was seized from one person at the time of his arrest. He is suspected of an aggravated firearms offence.

"This case is an example of the 'Crime as a Service' phenomenon, in which criminal operators exploit other people to carry out criminal acts. The aim is to avoid criminal liability and to make use of, among others, people in vulnerable positions as the perpetrators of crimes," said Detective Superintendent of the Helsinki Police Department Kimmo Sainio.