Over 10 million cigarettes smuggled into Finland, say Customs officials

By admin On May 16, 2025

A man opening a pack of cigarettes in Helsinki. Photo: Laura Ukkonen / Lehtikuva

Finnish Customs has uncovered a large-scale cigarette smuggling operation involving more than 10 million cigarettes illegally brought into the country, with unpaid import duties exceeding €3.5 million.

Authorities said the cigarettes were transported using regular logistics channels in a way that closely mimicked legitimate cargo operations. The shipments were ordered, collected, and stored through standard delivery procedures to conceal their illicit nature.

“The pick-up, transport and storage of illegal goods was ordered just as in a legal delivery,” said Janne Mikkonen, the Customs officer leading the investigation. “In this case, all of the imported cigarettes were brought in by the same driver, who is one of the suspects and remains in pre-trial detention.”

During the preliminary investigation, Finnish Customs seized more than three million cigarettes. Evidence suggests the total number smuggled into the country exceeded ten million. Authorities estimate that over €3.5 million in import taxes were evaded.

The case is linked to a broader criminal investigation that began last autumn. It was initially detected during a separate probe by police in Eastern Uusimaa and has since grown into a transnational case involving multiple suspects and law enforcement agencies.

Four suspects from Baltic countries are currently in custody in Finland. Additional arrests have been made in Estonia and Latvia, where several individuals are being held in connection with the operation.

Customs officials have not ruled out further arrests and say the investigation is ongoing. The operation is considered part of an organised network that exploited legal transport systems to distribute untaxed tobacco products across borders.

The Finnish authorities are now cooperating with regional partners to determine the full scope of the smuggling ring, including its financial structure and potential links to other forms of cross-border crime.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi