The Helsinki Police Department announced that it has completed a preliminary investigation into a key marijuana trafficking ring in Finland. The case is part of a global crackdown on organised crime that began with “Operation Trojan Shield/Greenlight.” 

The FBI-led operation involved accessing the communications of drug syndicates across the world via an encrypted platform named ANOM, and resulted in the seizure of several tonnes of drugs and firearms and over 800 arrests. Nearly 100 people werearrested in Finland.

The National Police Board of Finland has said that police departments will be forced to lay off staff if the government does not allocate more funds for law enforcement in next year’s budget. In apress release published on Tuesday, the board stated that the police budget for 2022 is 35–40 million euros less than what was expected. 

The Ministry of Finance published its budget proposal for 2022 on Friday. According to the board, there will be a severe deficit in police funding next year unless the situation is addressed during the upcoming budget debate in September.

FINNISH POLICE AUTHORITIES have issued warnings over an alarming increase in scams across the country that are designed to take advantage of people's fears over the COVID-19 virus. Evidence has suggested that older people are at particular risk of being targeted by con-artists. 

FINNISH CUSTOMS POLICE HAVE REPORTED SEIZING A RECORD NUMBER of illicit and often counterfeit nicotine products this spring, largely consisting of snus products that contain "excessive" levels of nicotine.

TOP RESEARCHERS AT AALTO UNIVERSITY, VTT, THE UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI, AND THE FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE have joined forces to conduct joint research into the airborne origins of the Covid-19 virus, in the hopes of determining the best ways to reduce its spread. 

According to a report by Helsingin Sanomat, researchers from the University of Helsinki believe that they have found the root cause of Parkinson’s disease, a long-term, degenerative brain disorder that affects movement. 

The results of a study published in thejournal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiologysuggest that the disease could originate from hydrogen sulfide produced by intestinal bacteria. The pathologic process thus begins in the gut and spreads to the brain. 

RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI AND THE UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND believe that they may have finally created an effective hangover cure, following a study on the use of a particular amino acid believed to relieve common hangover symptoms.

A FINNISH-AUSTRALIAN MINING COMPANY, Latitude 66 Cobalt, has applied to conduct cobalt mining operations in a territory spanning 5700 square kilometres in northeastern Finland. The company aims to secure exclusive extraction rights to an area that covers Lapland, Kainnu, and Koillismaa. 

A new surveyby Yle indicates that a majority of Finns support the government’s proposed restrictions on movement within areas that have been worst hit by the COVID-19 virus. 

In other news, the latest data from Statistics Finland has revealed that the number of unemployed people in the country increased by 35,000 this February, compared to the same time last year. 

A new surveyby the European Parliament suggests that out of all 27 member states, Finnish residents have the least confidence in the decisions made by the EU in 2020. 

Thepublic opinion study, which covered topics such as the organisation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic recovery plan, was published on Friday. 

Cyber security expertshave revealed that Finns have already lost 1 million euros to online fraudsters since the beginning of the year. 

Juho Jauhiainen, an information security specialist at the National Cyber Security Centre Finland, told Yle that scam artists have been posing as representatives from organisations such as Microsoft, Posti and most recently, the Finnish Tax Administration, to trick people out of their money.

Finns PartyChairperson Riikka Purra has called for the government to postpone Finland’s deadline for achieving carbon neutrality by 15 years. The current target was set for 2035 during the last electoral term, with all partiesexcept the Finns Party agreeing to the terms. 

Purra said she believes it would be impossible for the country to become carbon neutral within the next 20 years, as it would raise energy prices, in particular the prices of electricity and fossil fuels, to the point that neither citizens nor industries would be able to afford it. 

According to a report by Helsingin Sanomat, multiple candidates in this year’s municipal elections have criminal records; however, those representing the Finns Party have over twice the number of criminal convictions between them than hopefuls from other political parties. 

The newspaper reviewed the records of this year’s candidates in relation to the 2017 municipal elections. It found that 8.2 per cent of Finns Party hopefuls had received criminal convictions during the period 2016–2021. The equivalent number in 2017 was still higher; however, at 9 per cent.

AUTHORITIES IN THE AUTONOMOUS REGION of the Åland Islands have confirmed the first coronavirus cases in the area, with two people so far testing positive for the Covid-19 virus that has spawned over 500 confirmed cases on the Finnish mainland. Meanwhile, THL have confirmed the first death from the virus in Finland. 

HELSINKI'S ANNUAL FLOW FESTIVAL HAS BEEN CANCELLED, with organisers postponing the event until 2021, citing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. The high-profile music and arts event is one of several to be cancelled as a result of the pandemic. 

THE FINNISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE is predicted a dramatic upswing in temperature in Southern Finland this week that could see the mercury surpass 17 degrees Celsius. The forecast comes following a week that saw blizzards amid some of the coldest April temperatures on record.

Supporters of Finland’s nationalfootball team were held up for several hours at the Finland-Russia border on Tuesday when they returned to the country after attending a Euro 2020 match in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

The long queues, which were up to a kilometre-long at the border crossing in Vaalimaa, were caused by a shortage of COVID-19 testing resources, in particular a lack of staff to administer the test. 

A former employee of the Helsinki Police Department has published a detailed list of abuses allegedly committed by police officers over the past few years in an online blog. 

The author of the blog, who claims to have been a police officer at the time, allegedly witnessed his coworkers using excessive force on multiple occasions. 

FINNISH ENERGY GIANT FORTUM is rolling out the release of the new 'Fortum lever' in supermarkets. The product is designed to enable customers to open doors using their arms, in the hopes that the risk of COVID-19 transmission will be reduced.