Police have completed their investigation into a human trafficking case involving the berry company Arctic Group. Authorities suspect that Thai berry pickers brought to Finland by the Sotkamo-based company were exploited as victims of human trafficking.
The case has now moved to the prosecutor for consideration of charges.
Police believe the firm took advantage of the pickers' vulnerable position and unsafe circumstances. The workers were also subjected to conditions in Finland that they had not expected.
"Berry pickers in Finland also faced excessive costs, causing nearly all of them to fall into debt in their home country and to the companies that brought them here," Detective Superintendent Sami Isoniemi said in a police statement.
Visas used false information
The police have investigated the case as aggravated human trafficking and aggravated organisation of illegal entry, with the latter specifically relating to how the Thai workers were brought to Finland.
According to police, berry companies gave false information to authorities when applying for the pickers' visas, claiming the Thais were coming to Finland for seasonal horticultural work.
However, during the 2022–2023 harvest season, when the alleged crimes took place, the Thai workers were actually picking berries for the companies and selling them to the berry firms.
"There is a specific type of visa for this kind of work, which includes company-specific quotas for pickers. Police suspect that the company that brought the pickers to Finland circumvented these quotas, immigration regulations, and employer obligations," Inspector Isoniemi said.
Ten suspects
A total of 10 people have been suspected in the case. The suspicion of aggravated organisation of illegal entry concerns four individuals.
Five of the suspects were held in custody during the pre-trial investigation, including Arctic Group CEO Janne Naapanki. The suspects hold Finnish and Thai citizenship.
According to police, there are 140 victims in total. Most of them were interviewed in Thailand during the investigation.
In addition to the Thai authorities, the Finnish police worked with Swedish authorities on the case.
The case was sent for review by the Eastern Finland Prosecutor's Office. If charges are filed, it will proceed to a district court trial.
