Helsinki appeals court upholds long prison sentences for cocaine gang in Kontula

The Helsinki Court of Appeal has largely upheld the district court’s rulings in the case of a cocaine trafficking ring operating in the Kontula district of Helsinki, with the main defendant receiving a 12-year prison sentence for aggravated drug offences and aggravated assault, Yle reports.

The court confirmed the convictions of six men for large-scale cocaine distribution, though it reduced the estimated financial gains from the crimes. The offences primarily took place in summer and autumn 2023.

Barham Taimouri, identified as the ringleader, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and remains in custody. The court found that he supplied cocaine in multiple shipments to an apartment in Kontula, where other defendants distributed it via the Telegram messaging app.

Ahmed Saleh received an eight-year sentence, while Murad Ramadan was given seven years and eight months. Both were released in January after being detained since November 2023. Pedram Yadegarian, sentenced to three years and six months, was briefly re-incarcerated in September 2024 but released again in February 2025.

The court also upheld a conviction for a brutal assault in Vantaa’s Koivukylä in March 2023, ruling that Taimouri instigated the attack based on video evidence. The defendants were ordered to jointly pay €2,500 in compensation to the victim.

While the district court had estimated the street value of the 10.5 kilograms of cocaine at a higher rate, the appeals court lowered the calculated criminal proceeds—reducing some amounts from €125,000 to €100,000 and one instance from €50,000. The ruling is not yet final, as an appeal to the Supreme Court remains possible.