Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has confirmed that “several people” were detained on Tuesday evening in southeast Finland during a preliminary investigation into suspected financing of terrorist activities.
The head of the investigation, Senior Detective Superintendent Mikko Laaksonen of the NBI, remained tight-lipped about the case on Wednesday. He declined to provide details to Yle, noting that the investigation was in its early stages.
He did confirm that the detentions in Ruokolahti reported by Yle on Tuesday were related to the investigation. Police were seen stopping a car near Route 62, Puumalantie, and taking several people into custody.
Eyewitnesses told Yle that there were five police cars at the intersection of Route 62 and the road leading to Sulkava. The intersection is approximately eight kilometres from the centre of Ruokolahti, towards Puumala.
Government plans tougher punishments
Laaksonen declined to comment on whether other suspects have been detained, the nationalities of those in custody, or any further information about the suspected crime.
At present, financing of terrorism is punishable by up to eight years in prison. The government plans to expand the scope of criminal liability for terrorist crimes and increase the penalties for certain such offences.
They are rare in Finland, with five such cases since 2007.
