Finnish police report: Weapons destined for Ukraine appear in northern Europe

As early as the summer, Europol warned that weapons delivered to Ukraine could also reach other countries via criminals.

Finnish police report: Weapons destined for Ukraine appear in northern Europe

As early as the summer, Europol warned that weapons delivered to Ukraine could also reach other countries via criminals. The Finnish police now confirm that assault rifles are appearing, especially in northern Europe. The police are already keeping an eye on possible smugglers.

According to the police in Helsinki, weapons delivered to Ukraine have already ended up in the hands of Finnish criminals. These are, for example, assault rifles, said Chief Commissioner Christer Ahlgren from the National Investigation Bureau to Finnish radio Yle. "Weapons destined for Ukraine have also been found in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands," he was quoted as saying.

The European police organization Europol warned in the summer that criminals could target weapons and ammunition, which Kyiv receives in large quantities as foreign military aid. "We have indications that such weapons are also finding their way to Finland," Ahlgren said.

The smuggling routes are established. The arms trade is partly run by international biker groups, which the police classify as organized crime. The rocker group Bandidos MC, for example, has representatives in every major Ukrainian city, Ahlgren said. The gateways to Finland are the ports, which are less monitored than the airports.

Ahlgren recalled the experiences of the police after the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. From there, smuggled weapons reached many countries. "Ukraine has received large quantities of weapons, and that is good. But we will be dealing with these weapons for decades to come. That is the price we have to pay," said the senior police officer.