Six cardboard boxes contained amphetamine blocks stamped with the letters “DR”. A seventh box held 20,000 ecstasy tablets. LEHTIKUVA
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A routine traffic stop in Northern Finland led police to uncover the largest amphetamine haul in the country’s history, prosecutors revealed on Monday as trial proceedings began at Oulu District Court.
The investigation began last September when police in the town of Ii stopped a Swedish-registered Volkswagen Golf travelling at 160 km/h in a 100 km/h zone.
The vehicle was driven by a woman born in 1994, who claimed she was en route from Luleå, Sweden, to visit her boyfriend in Helsinki.
Officers initially intended to issue a speeding ticket. However, when the woman appeared visibly nervous upon learning she would lose her licence, a patrol officer decided to inspect the vehicle more closely.
Through the rear window, the officer spotted several moving boxes. The driver claimed they belonged to her boyfriend and denied knowing their contents.
Upon opening the trunk, police found four large bags filled with pills and six boxes of vacuum-packed white slabs. Laboratory analysis confirmed the contents as approximately 157 kg of amphetamine and over 20,000 ecstasy tablets.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of a serious narcotics offence.
Soon after the stop, another police unit noticed a second Swedish-registered vehicle acting suspiciously nearby. An Opel Mokka had turned off the main road and was later found with an active GPS route set from Haparanda to central Helsinki. Inside were four men who gave no clear reason for their trip.
Investigators later confirmed the Opel was shadowing the Volkswagen and was intended to provide support in case of police intervention. The group had communicated using the encrypted messaging app Signal. The woman’s phone contained detailed instructions under the alias “J-NET”, including speed limits, route updates, and live guidance through GPS screenshots.
Messages revealed she was under constant surveillance and had been instructed not to ask questions. J-NET disappeared from the chat immediately after she warned that police had stopped her for speeding.
The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP), in cooperation with Helsinki Police and Gothenburg authorities, identified links to a Swedish organised crime group known as T-Falang. The group is suspected of coordinating the transport from an industrial area in Borås, Sweden, to Finland.
The four men in the Opel denied any connection to the drug shipment, claiming they were on a road trip. However, handwritten notes recovered in their prison cell advised them to deny all knowledge of the operation and not to cooperate with police. The note read: “They have no evidence. Just guesses. Say you have no idea. Good luck.”
Prosecutors allege the woman and men were part of a criminal organisation seeking to import drugs into Finland for distribution. The indictment also includes charges related to explosives and preparation for a violent offence.
According to the prosecution, the woman had also been involved in planning the detonation of a thermos bomb in Vantaa, together with a Swedish man. The pair allegedly acted under the orders of the same criminal network.
The woman told investigators she accepted the job out of desperation. Struggling financially and fearful of losing custody of her children, she agreed to transport the shipment for a promised reward of 1,600 euros.
Asked why she risked her freedom and family, she responded: “My financial situation, so I wouldn’t lose my kids.”
The prosecution is seeking a 13-year sentence for the woman. For the four male accomplices, prosecutors are requesting prison terms ranging from eight to ten years.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
