Finnish police uncover Nordic drug network linked to contract-based crime

Finnish police have dismantled a cross-Nordic drug trafficking operation after seizing over five kilograms of cocaine and 3.5 kilograms of N-ethylnorpentedrone (NEP), a synthetic stimulant, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

The investigation, led by Western Uusimaa Police, began following international cooperation after Norwegian authorities received intelligence about a potential crime in Sweden. A Swedish woman, permanently residing in Norway, traveled to Finland after an attempted offense in Sweden did not take place.

During a November 2023 search, police confiscated slightly over five kilograms of cocaine and more than 3.5 kilograms of NEP, a substance with effects similar to alpha-PVP but not classified as an illegal drug in Finland. However, its distribution violates Finnish consumer market restrictions on psychoactive substances.

Seven individuals are under suspicion, with three currently in custody. The case will soon move from police investigation to prosecution.

Tuomas Kuure, the lead detective, described the operation as an example of “Nordic contract-based crime,” where individuals are recruited to commit offenses across borders.

In Sweden, NEP is classified as an illegal narcotic, but Finnish law treats it as a banned psychoactive substance under consumer safety regulations.