FINLAND

Tackling the Nordic criminal landscape

Finland is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe, with long maritime borders and land borders with Norway, Sweden and Russia. This geographical location is attractive to international organized crime groups wishing to smuggle illicit produce into Europe or across Scandinavia.

In addition the Nordic countries are often destination or transit countries for women and girls trafficked by organized crime groups operating from the other side of the world. Drug and alcohol smuggling and their associated financial crime, particularly money laundering, by global organized crime groups are also a concern for Nordic authorities.

The international characteristics of these crime areas and their links with crime networks around the world make the role of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Finland fundamental to maintaining national and regional security.

INTERPOL in Finland

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is the national agency responsible for tackling serious organized crime. The Finnish NCB is part of the NBI Criminal Intelligence Division.

By providing globally-sourced intelligence about regional crime trends, the NCB helps police officers across Finland detect and investigate the flow of illicit goods along trafficking routes in and around the country.

Finland’s national police: Poliisi

Finland has one national police force, called “Poliisi” in Finnish. It is part of the Ministry of Interior.

National police activities are planned, directed and supervised by the National Police Board (NPB).

Responsible for judicial, social and public order as well as crime prevention and investigations at national level, the Finnish Police works closely with Finland’s Border Guard and Customs for national and transnational criminal investigations.

In addition to its 11 local police departments, the Finnish Police includes two law enforcement units with national remit:

• Finnish Security Intelligence Service;
• National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

The NBI provides national law enforcement authorities with expert support services such as forensic examination, criminal intelligence and analysis, intelligence gathering, and access to INTERPOL’s secure global police communications network – I-24/7.