A criminal case has been opened in Finland regarding the illegal supply of weapons and their components to Russia in circumvention of EU sanctions, according to the official website of the Finnish Customs Service.
The investigation is being carried out against two local companies. Both companies are suspected of having arranged for the delivery of 3.5 thousand drones worth 2 million euros in transit through Russia.
The agency assumes that the drones, which according to documents were supposed to go to other countries, ended up remaining in Russia. The supplies also included electronics, which, according to Finnish customs, can be classified as military goods.
The criminal case concerns more than thirty cases of export or attempted export of goods subject to sanctions, including microcontrollers and semiconductor components worth more than 600 thousand euros. Another episode of the case is related to the supply of equipment to combat drones worth 350 thousand euros.
According to the preliminary investigation, both companies were headed by the same person. Presumably, one of the organizations purchased goods, and the second sent them. There are six defendants in the case — one of them has been under arrest since September 2023. In December, the criminal case will be transferred to the prosecutor's office.
“According to the results of the preliminary investigation, there is reason to believe that the activities were carried out from Russia. The operation created an extensive network of international companies through which the operation could be financed,” said Finnish Customs spokesman Hannu Sinkkonen.