Finnish court examines whether dozens of reindeer were stolen or falsely accused in revenge plot

A district court in northern Finland is weighing whether three reindeer herders stole dozens of reindeer or if some thefts were fabricated as retaliation, Yle reports. The defendants admit to some thefts but dispute the scale of the accusations.

The Lapland District Court heard closing arguments Wednesday in a high-profile reindeer theft case centered in Utsjoki’s Paistunturi region. Three local herders face charges of aggravated theft and forgery for allegedly stealing over 50 reindeer from other owners in May 2020.

While the accused partially confessed during pretrial investigations and in court, they deny the most severe charges—aggravated theft and forgery—and reject claims of coordinated action. Their defense argues the evidence, primarily ear-mark examinations, is unreliable.

Defense lawyer Kalle Variks stated his client regrets the thefts and has attempted to compensate owners. However, the defendants insist the number of stolen reindeer has been exaggerated, suggesting roughly half the reported thefts were staged as revenge after initial accusations surfaced.

Disputed evidence and unauthorized culling

The prosecution claims the trio altered ear marks and fur markings to conceal thefts, while the defense counters that many “stolen” reindeer were wrongly included in counts. Some reindeer, they argue, were culled without police oversight or owner notification after being gathered by the local herding cooperative (paliskunta).

Defense attorney Jaakko Kuparinen called the cooperative’s actions “arbitrary revenge,” not a police-led investigation. Lead investigator Iikka Rantahalvari acknowledged the case’s complexity, noting that without the cooperative’s involvement, far fewer reindeer would have been examined. Police lacked resources to independently round up hundreds of animals, he said.

Prosecutor Emilia Välimaa seeks conditional prison sentences, arguing the case involved systematic theft and forgery. She emphasized that all defendants admitted to some theft, though they dispute the total count. A verdict is expected after summer.

Reindeer ear marks—unique cuts identifying ownership—were central to the investigation, but their reliability has been challenged. Some evidence was deemed too ambiguous even by the prosecution.

The case highlights tensions within the herding community, with one defendant claiming their own herd shrank by a fifth after accusations emerged.