Kouvola armed robbery suspects have extensive criminal records

Two men suspected of armed robberies in Kouvola on 15 July have lengthy criminal histories, according to a review of their convictions by Yle.

The suspects, born in 1983 and 2001, are accused of robbing two young adults at gunpoint near Kouvola city centre. During one of the robberies, a firearm discharged, but no one was injured. Both men were arrested shortly after the incidents.

The older man, in his early 40s, has convictions dating back to 2000, including drug offences, aggravated assault, rape, and severe domestic violence. In 2006, he and accomplices assaulted a man in Inkerfors and Anjala, binding the victim and stealing his property, earning a prison sentence of over three years. In 2013, he received nearly two years for aggravated drug offences and illegal firearm possession. More recently, in 2021, he was found with over 100 grams of amphetamine, a cannabis cultivation setup, and firearms. Later that year, he and an accomplice severely assaulted his then-partner. He received another multi-year sentence in late 2022.

The younger man, 25, has a criminal record beginning in early 2020, with convictions for drug-related driving, theft, and fraud. In 2022, he and another man committed aggravated theft and assault, beating a victim before stealing money and a computer from their home. Later that year, he was convicted of an aggravated drug offence after police found 160 grams of amphetamine in his possession. In late June 2026, just weeks before the armed robberies, a nine-month prison sentence for multiple thefts became final, though he remained free pending enforcement.

Police continue to investigate the case, including the motive and whether the suspects and victims knew each other. Officers have conducted searches at a property linked to the older suspect in Myllykoski.