GANG USES FLOWERS TO SMUGGLE €20M COCAINE INTO FINLAND

Chief Inspector Jari Räty of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of Finland has exposed what he said was "a large, systematic drug import and transport organization that operates in the country."

Raty’s disclosure came after the Finnish police busted a massive smuggling operation that brought drugs into Finland from the Netherlands hidden in flower shipments. Law enforcement officials say that 17 drug shipments took place between mid-2018 and May of last year.

They estimated the street value of the drugs brought in via the Vuosaari port at more than €20 million, the Finnish news service Yle reported.

Two Dutch men are suspected of being the ringleaders of the drug operation. Police say they have investigated more than 50 people for possible involvement in the criminal operation, but did not say how exactly many are now in custody.

Authorities have confiscated over a million euros in criminal proceeds as well as some 700,000 euros worth of real estate property.

Police departments in Helsinki, Häme, Southeast Finland and Ostrobothnia teamed up with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the probe. They cooperated with Dutch and German authorities as well as Europol and the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), which are both based in the Netherlands.

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