Finnish authorities have taken eight people into custody on suspected human trafficking charges following a week-long international effort to tackle the issue.
The investigations, which targeted cleaning companies operating at various locations, also led to the identification of at least six victims.
The locations probed as part of the investigation included shops, hotels, shopping malls, warehouses, car washes, schools, kindergartens, restaurants and apartments.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed reports for suspected aggravated tax fraud and two cases of suspected work discrimination as well as one suspected facilitation of illegal entry and a narcotics offence.
"Even one case is too many, but looking at the overall situation in the cleaning industry, this action week showed that the situation is good. There were many locations where there was nothing to complain about; quite the contrary, the situation was excellent," NBI detective chief inspector Petri Partanen said in a press release.
Partanen also stressed the importance of regular checks during day-to-day work and not just during coordinated action weeks.
Ukrainians particularly vulnerable
Tackling forced labour practices or other exploitation purposes sits at the heart of Europol's Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats (EMPACT). The joint action weeks aim to identify criminal activities as well as victims, while enhancing cooperation between countries in Europe in order to improve detection and increase awareness.
Arrivals from Ukraine are particularly susceptible to exploitation, according to the chief inspector. Finnish investigations have revealed two cases of two potential victims of work discrimination among people who have arrived from Ukraine since the outbreak of the war.
"A key part of our work is also that we, as authorities, are able to meet employees and discuss their rights in the Finnish labour market. We believe that this is an effective way of spreading the correct information not only to those we meet, but other people as well. For example, for those, who have recently fled Ukraine, this is absolutely essential," Partanen said.