The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) says it teamed up with police in Helsinki, other parts of Finland and Spain to crack down on a massive drug smuggling and sales operation.
Several suspects are in custody, including two Finns believed to have run the organisation from Spain. Authorities say they were moving large volumes of controlled substances across several European countries and selling them in Finland.
"Police suspect the organisation of smuggling extremely large amounts of drugs, illicit pharmaceuticals and doping substances into Finland. The preliminary investigation has identified dozens of suspects in Finland and abroad. Nearly all the suspects are Finnish citizens," Detective Chief Inspector Jari Nikonen of the Helsinki Police said in a statement on Thursday.
€4m in ill-gotten gains
The crime syndicate is suspected of starting to import and distribute doping substances in 2016, expanding its business last year to include the import and distribution of drugs and other controlled substances in the Helsinki and Tampere regions. They were primarily brought in from the Netherlands, sometimes hidden in lorry deliveries, officials say.
The gang is suspected of smuggling a wide array of substances into Finland, including more than 200 kilos of amphetamines, 60 kilos of hash, 15 kilos of cocaine, more than 30 kilos of MDMA and over 100,000 ecstasy tablets, some 20,000 LSD tabs, two kilos of crystal meth and about two million pharmaceutical pills.
The items were allegedly sold on the street and via 'dark web' sites such as the Silk Road. Police estimate the proceeds of crime at around four million euros.
The case involves more than 60 suspects, of whom about 20 remain in pre-trial detention. The cases are to be handed over for consideration of charges before the end of the year.