Following V4NA's inquiry, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation issued a statement.

V4NA contacted Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation after Detective Superintendent Christer Ahlgren said on a programme that there is a strong suspicion that weapons intended for Ukraine have already appeared in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, and that the necessary smuggling routes have also been established. In addition, there is a risk of illegal arms trade appearing in Finland, he pointed out. Following our inquiry, the National Bureau of Investigation responded in a press release, stressing that police have no evidence that weapons intended for Ukraine have ended up in the hands of criminals organisations in Finland. They pointed out, however, that the possibility existed.

„there is a possibility that criminals operating in Finland are trying to obtain weapons from conflict zones,”

the statement reads. The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation added that they have

„identified individual members of organised crime who have travelled to Ukraine during the war. The police constantly monitor the situation […] In all situations, the police must consider potential risks in advance. In this case, a potential risk has been identified, but at least for the moment it has not yet materialised.”

In their statement they also confirmed that

„The police seize numerous unlicensed weapons from members of organised crime every year and are aware that individual operators are interested in weapons used in war zones. The police have indications that, in the long run, members of organised crime may try to acquire weapons from Ukraine, too.”

In the interview, the Finnish chief investigator spoke about Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, countries where there are strong suspicions that weapons originally meant to be shipped to Ukraine have appeared on the black market. It could potentially happen also in Finland in the future, Christer Ahlgren said. Actors in the black market, however, would certainly attempt to smuggle the weapons through seaports, because those are less tightly controlled than airports.

Weapons which on the black market may indeed have arrived at Swedish, Danish and Dutch ports. The potential risks are also underlined by the US State Department, which ordered a comprehensive investigation into US weapons tracking after the press reports emerged.