Police enlist Defence Forces after suspicious find in Virolahti

Police called in the Finnish Defence Forces to help identify suspicious material found during an operation at a detached house in Virolahti, Yle reported Tuesday.

The Southeast Finland Police Department has been carrying out an operation linked to a police investigation since the morning. Officers searched the grounds of a house in the Ala-Pihlaja area and entered at least one outbuilding.

The Defence Forces assisted with identifying the material and ensuring it could be handled safely. Police and military personnel were still at the scene at 4pm, police Inspector Timo Perälä told Yle. No decision had been made on whether to remove the material, but the Defence Forces were ready to transport it if needed.

Police said that matters uncovered during the operation would be examined in a separate preliminary investigation. No criminal report has been filed in connection with the matter, and no arrests have been made. Police would not say whether they had found weapons or explosives.

Police said the operation was limited to the grounds of one house and posed no danger to the public. Perälä said it was expected to be completed on Tuesday evening. Police cited privacy and investigative reasons for limiting what they could disclose.