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Daily: Slew of new charges for Finnish-Syrian toy smuggler

A Finnish-Syrian man who made headlines for smuggling toys from Finland into Syria is facing charges for 19 offences, including aggravated money laundering and forgery.

Lelusalakuljettajana tunnetun Rami Adhamin epäiltyä pahoinpitelyä käsiteltiin Helsingin Käräjäoikeudessa 20. kesäkuuta 2017.
Toy smuggler Rami Adham is one of four persons charged in connection with fundraising and charity activities for a small NGO. Image: Mikko Stig / Lehtikuva
  • Denise Wall

The Helsinki District Court has slapped so-called "toy smuggler", Finnish-Syrian Rami Adham with a welter of charges relating to alleged crimes committed under the guise of a charity campaign in Syria.

According to the daily Helsingin Sanomat, the charges arose for Adham’s activities for the Finnish-Syrian community and its fundraising and related charitable activities in Syria. Police launched an investigation into the group’s operations in 2016.

Adham is one of four persons charged in connection with the NGO’s activities. One of the four faces charges on one count of aggravated money laundering and two counts of accounting offences.

Last autumn the Helsinki District Court handed Adham a five-month suspended sentence for tax fraud, doping, drug offences, accounting crimes, attempted blackmail and two counts of assault. The tax crimes reportedly dated back to 2012-2013, while the assault allegedly occurred in spring 2015.