Man sentenced to suspended prison for stealing thousands of postal items in eastern Finland

A 60-year-old man from Kuopio has been sentenced to one year and six months of suspended imprisonment for stealing around 8,000 letters, magazines, and parcels over more than a decade, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The North Savo District Court ruled on the case, which involved a series of offences spanning from January 2012 to October 2023 in Suonenjoki and Kuopio. The man was convicted of aggravated interference with communications and other crimes, including concealment offences, totaling 20 charges.

According to the court, the man stole approximately 3,100 letters and over 4,300 magazines from mailboxes, some of which were official correspondence from authorities and banks. Police found the stolen mail in his home during the investigation.

Finnish postal service Posti and the Eastern Finland Police demanded compensation for the costs of redistributing the stolen mail. Police paid Posti nearly €20,000 to sort and deliver the recovered items, which included around 8,200 addressed shipments sent to nearly 1,700 recipients in the Kuopio region. Posti estimated the total cost of redistribution at over €60,000 and sought over €40,000 in damages from the man. However, the court dismissed the compensation claims, citing unclear grounds.

The verdict is not yet legally binding and may still be appealed.