Finnish court hands down sentences in major drug trafficking case

A district court in eastern Uusimaa has sentenced 27 people in connection with a large-scale drug trafficking operation linked to a Baltic criminal network, Yle reports.

Most of the defendants received prison terms for aggravated drug offences, with 22 sentenced to more than two years in prison. The longest sentences—13 years—were given to two men identified as key figures in the import and distribution of drugs.

The group, composed mainly of Latvian and Estonian citizens, smuggled approximately 600 kilograms of various drugs into Finland between March 2023 and October 2025, including around 200 kilograms of alpha-PVP. The estimated street value of the drugs was up to €40 million.

Drugs were concealed in passenger cars and trucks, transported by ferry to Finland, and then unloaded at a car repair shop in Tuusula before being distributed, primarily to apartments in Espoo. Some drugs were also hidden in storage facilities and forest caches in Uusimaa.

The network enforced its rules with violence, including breaking one member’s arm and beating another with a hammer. Charges also included aggravated money laundering, illegal import activities, and firearms offences.

The ruling is not yet legally binding.