What a gift to the Finnish people…
Border Guards suspect two Iraqi men of people smuggling
The men are suspected of charging another Iraqi man 4,500 euros for a forged French passport.
Two Iraqi residents in Finland are suspected of organising the illegal entry of individuals into the country. Finnish Border Guards also found in the men’s possession several photographs of passports that had either been reported stolen or missing.
The men are suspected of acquiring a forged French passport for another Iraqi man. Officials believe that that passport came from a man living in Malaysia.
The suspected offences came to light when Russian border officials barred the man from travelling from St. Petersburg to Helsinki in the Allegro train on 22 May.
The man had presented to the officials the forged French passport as the travel document entitling him to free movement within the Schengen region.
Russian authorities later found out that the man had arrived in Moscow one day earlier, on 21 May holding an Iranian passport with an authentic Russian visa.
Several photos of European passports
A preliminary investigation by the southeast Finland Border Guard unit determined that the Iraqi man who tried to enter Finland from Russia had paid about 4,500 euros for the forged French passport.
Authorities found on the suspects’ phones several photographs of European passports that had been reported as stolen or missing.
One of the suspects has been remanded into police custody. The case has been handed over the eastern Finland district prosecutor’s office for consideration of charges.
