Prosecutor seeks eight years for Iraqi brothers charged with illegal immigration scheme in Finland

The prosecutor is seeking at least eight years of imprisonment for two Iraqi brothers in Finland, who are charged with orchestrating aggravated illegal immigration. The siblings, who were legally residing in Latvia, attempted to smuggle over 160 individuals from Latvia through Finland to Germany last year. This operation is reportedly one of the largest smuggling schemes involving Finland as a transit country, utilizing public transportation within Finland.

The elder brother organized 15 trips, while the younger brother participated in six of them. A total of 134 individuals successfully made their way through Finland, but the last two attempts failed. In June, the Helsinki District Court sentenced the elder brother to three years and nine months in prison, while the younger brother received a sentence of two years and three months.

The prosecutor argues that these sentences are too lenient and that there were 15 separate criminal acts involved. Maximum penalties could amount to nine years of imprisonment instead. The crimes were allegedly part of an international organized crime group that initially transported individuals illegally from various countries to Belarus and then to Latvia. Those apprehended in Latvia sought asylum and were housed in reception centers before being picked up to continue their journey.

The elder brother acted as a guide for the smuggled individuals, participating in this activity for six months from March to September 2023. The younger brother primarily handled ticket bookings and payments for about six weeks during June and August 2023. The elder brother indicated that the cost of smuggling individuals was typically between 1,500 and 1,800 euros, with the price for children being half that of adult fares; infants were smuggled for free.

The District Court assessed that the brothers profited approximately 1,200 euros per passenger, with the elder brother ordered to pay over 79,000 euros to the state. Collectively, the brothers are liable for almost 82,000 euros in illicit gains. The Border Guard revealed details of the investigation in May.