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Wider Wiretapping Powers for Criminal Investigations

Police may be given wider wiretapping powers. An article in the Helsingin Sanomat daily says that an Interior Ministry working group has proposed that criminal investigators be given the right to eavesdrop on phone calls suspected of organising illegal entry into the country.

Illegal entry ranks rather low on the scale of offences, compared to the kindsof suspicious calls that can be monitored nowadays. Currently wiretapping can be used in the investigation of crimes such as murder, manslaughter, spying, aggravated sexual abuse of children and aggravated drug crimes.

The newspaper article says the Interior Ministry is also considering allowing Finnish Border Guards the power to listen in to certain calls suspected of criminal intent and identifying their call details.

The Justice Ministry says the Interior Ministry has not presented sufficient basis for providing border guards with wiretapping and video surveillance powers. Mobile police and the National Bureau of Investigation also do not support handing over such powers to the Border Guards.

Sources: YLE