Court sentences man to prison for stealing dozens of weapons from Kuhmoinen arms museum

A 51-year-old man has been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for stealing dozens of functional firearms from the Kuhmoinen arms and reserve museum in summer 2024, Pirkanmaa District Court ruled on Tuesday, reports Finnish broadcaster Yle.

The court found the man guilty of burglary, aggravated firearms offences, and aggravated theft after he broke into the museum on three separate occasions in July and August 2024. Most of the stolen weapons—34 revolvers and pistols taken in the first heist—remain missing, with only eight recovered so far.

During questioning, the man admitted to the theft, stating he had acted to settle old debts. He sold the majority of the stolen firearms, some of which were later seized by police in unrelated investigations.

Two other individuals received lesser sentences in connection with the case: one woman was given 30 days in prison for firearms offences, while another received a fine for drug use. Charges against several other suspects were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. One defendant died before the trial concluded, and proceedings against two others remain pending.

The convicted man’s sentence was reduced due to a prior two-year prison term issued in December. The rulings are not yet final; appeals may be filed until 5 June.

A third break-in at the museum in late August, during which two men allegedly stole six black powder weapons, has not yet been adjudicated. The museum’s owner interrupted the theft but was reportedly knocked to the ground as the suspects fled. Police later apprehended the men in Kangasala after they collided with a fire truck near the scene.

The stolen firearms, though over 80 years old, were in working condition. The museum had previously been targeted in 2024, when weapons were stolen and the owner assaulted.