Ilomantsi border suspect carried illegal gas sprays from Russia

A person who entered Finland from Russia in the Mutalahti area of Ilomantsi was carrying two gas sprays that are illegal in Finland, Yle reports. The person is suspected of violating the state border and committing a petty firearms offence.

The person, who has applied for asylum, told investigators that the sprays were carried for protection against predators, said investigation leader Tomi Salmi.

Investigators are now determining whether the person knew that the sprays are classified as illegal firearms in Finland. “Sometimes it has been decided that charges are not brought in cases like this,” Salmi said.

The preliminary investigation is still under way.

North Karelia Border Guard officers detained the foreign national late on Saturday, August 1, after they suspected the person had crossed the national border through the terrain in the Mutalahti area. The person was located based on observations made by the Border Guard. The detention was carried out peacefully.