Finns alarmed by smuggled weapons from Ukraine

“On the black market – pistols, grenades, combat drones”

Western deliveries of weapons to Ukraine in huge quantities have led to the fact that now these weapons are distributed throughout Europe, falling into the hands of criminals. For example, a channel has been established for the supply of these weapons to Finland. This is reported by the Finnish edition of YLE, citing its sources in the police.

According to the media, back in the summer, the police service of the European Union – Europol – warned that international criminal networks were trying to smuggle firearms and ammunition from Ukraine to different EU countries. Based on the data of the special services, the central criminal police fears that weapons for criminal groups have already got into Suomi.

“We have indications that it is already in Finland. Weapons delivered to Ukraine have also been found in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands,” Commissioner Kristen Ahlgren said.

This applies to military weapons, in particular, assault rifles. Ports do not carry out basic security checks as they do at airports. The Finnish police hope for an urgent change in this situation.

Law enforcement officers also stated that, in addition to rifles, pistols, grenades, combat drones are “spreading” across Europe. “Single specimens brought from Ukraine have also been found in other European countries,” Algren says. They do not want to publish more detailed information about the weapons that got into Finland yet, as the information is still being supplemented.

In Finland, according to Yle, there are three largest gangs, which are international criminal organizations. One of them is Bandidos MC, which has branches in every major city in Ukraine. It is no secret that in organized crime, weapons have always been a desirable capital and commodity. And now the opportunity to get it has become real.

The publication notes that the weapons supplied by the West to Ukraine enter Finland in different ways: “There is a lot of intelligence that criminal organizations are very interested in the weapons delivered to Ukraine and their use in the post-war period.” And the smuggling routes are ready. One can only guess under what circumstances Ukraine’s weapons will end up in Europe.