Shoplifting is on the rise in the capital. Cases in Helsinki increased by roughly 50 percent in the first part of the year compared with the same period last year, reports Finnish news agency STT.
"It's an exceptionally large increase. We are talking about several thousand cases," Mikko Minkkinen of the Helsinki Police Department said.
Not all incidents result in police reports, though the reporting threshold has fallen, according to Minkkinen.
Shoplifting is also on the rise in Central Finland, but less so than in the capital.
Most shoplifters substance abusers
Those caught shoplifting tend to suffer from substance abuse problems, according to the police.
"They may steal daily. There is a particular group behind these incidents, and police sometimes get daily reports from stores about them," Minkkinen said.
He said financial hardship may be a contributing factor behind the overall rise in thefts.
Minkkinen added that those stealing razor blades and hygiene products are often foreign nationals.
"There may be markets for these items elsewhere. They often leave Finland by mail or other transport. This is cross-border professional crime," he said.
Last year Lidl started placing alarm stickers on high-ticket items to deter shoplifters, affixing security tags to products including coffee, meat, cheese and chocolate.
