Stolen goods now sold on Helsinki terraces

Street vendors in eastern Helsinki are now selling stolen razors, watches, and headphones alongside food and drinks, according to local business owners and residents interviewed by Yle.

The stretch of Vaasankatu in Alppiharju has become a known hub for the trade, where sellers move from terrace to terrace offering goods from bags. Restaurant staff and customers report daily encounters with vendors hawking everything from energy drinks to Ray-Ban sunglasses, clothing, and perfumes.

Sheikh Umar, who runs the Bröner Kallio restaurant on Vaasankatu, said a seller once pushed into his kitchen area trying to offload branded sunglasses, first for €500, then for €55. Others have approached him with clothes and watches.

Lotifa Leya, a server at nearby Bar Palmu, said the vendors often appear to be struggling with substance abuse. While the restaurant bans solicitation on its premises, she noted her authority ends at the terrace edge.

Prices for stolen alcohol, such as a six-pack of lonkeros, often start high but drop quickly to around €5 after haggling, according to regular patrons. Some vendors openly admit the drinks were taken from nearby grocery stores.

Retail theft costs Finnish businesses an estimated €500 million annually in stolen goods, with another €500 million spent on security measures, according to the Finnish Commerce Federation. Incident reports show threats, violence, and disturbances in stores have tripled since the early 2020s.

Local grocers have responded by locking up alcohol and attaching anti-theft alarms to high-value items. Some have installed secure checkout counters.

Other businesses are also affected. Tarik El Sauid, a local restaurateur, said a disoriented man once barricaded himself in a customer toilet and tried to steal a faucet. He added that thieves regularly check car doors along Vaasankatu, hoping to find valuables to sell for drug money.

Memo Ismail, a barber in Kallio, said his shop was broken into through a back-yard window. Thieves took a cash register, trimmers, hair products, a work phone, and a payment terminal—items easily resold. He has also been approached by vendors trying to sell trimmers, but they have learned his shop is not a viable market.