Major smuggling ring busted

2009-02-05
TBT Staff in cooperation with BNS

TALLINN - A gang of about 30 drug dealers has been apprehended by Estonian and Finnish police. The gang reportedly smuggled hundreds of kilograms of drugs over the course of a year.

The Finnish police have established the smuggling of 270 kilograms of hashish, 106 kilograms of amphetamine, 6,000 Subutex pills and 400 grams of cocaine to Finland and the turnover of the drug business amounted to nearly 95.5 billion kroons (6.1 million euros). According to investigation information the drug consignments were hidden into trucks and private cars with dozens of traffickers involved in the smuggling.

Finnish and Estonianauthorities closely cooperated in the exposure of the gang and a joint Estonian-Finnish group had been set up for its investigation. So, establishment of the criminal proceeds of the persons connected with the drug business and its arrest was the duty of Estonianauthorities.

According to Finnish media the string of the drug business reached Spain, from where one of suspect of the drug business was handed over to Finland. According to the Finnish police the case is also connected with the amphetamine case of the Bandidos motorbike gang, in which the Finnish hockey star Jere Karalahti was involved.