Police find drugs present in daily lives of under 15-year-olds as part of Western Uusimaa crackdown

Police in Western Uusimaa have found that drugs have become an everyday reality for young people, including those under 15, during a targeted street-level drug enforcement operation in early May.

The Western Uusimaa Police Department carried out the monitoring over the week after May Day, focusing on locations analysis showed were linked to drug sales, particularly to minors and children.

According to a police statement, the operation was part of a national campaign and did not single out any areas as especially concerning.

“As a result of the surveillance, we referred 18 people to care, sent eight pre-trial investigation reports to the prosecutor, and recorded 17 fines,” said Detective Inspector Hannu Väänänen in the statement.

Police also interviewed 11 first-time offenders and issued warnings to eight people. Of those who became targets of police action, two were under 18 but over 15, and one was under 15 years old.

Officers seized approximately 100 grams of cannabis as well as quantities of amphetamine, alpha-PVP, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.

A total of 35 people were suspected of offences, including 24 drug use offences. Police filed 24 crime reports. Six of those suspected of drug crimes were first-time suspects. Police also encountered 26 wanted individuals during the operation, with one immediately taken to serve a long prison sentence. Four cases of drunk driving were uncovered.

Police assessed the operation as successful and said continued monitoring is warranted.

Väänänen expressed concern about the situation among young people in the region. “From the perspective of criminal investigation, it is concerning how many drugs young people currently have,” he said. “Drug crime always involves a serious threat of violence, and as this sample from the surveillance shows, drugs unfortunately appear in the daily lives of children under 15.”