Follow-up study: The number of open cases in economic crime investigation has doubled
A study by the Police University College describes the trend in economic crime and the state of economic crime investigation in Finland.
The Police University College has published a study “Talousrikostutkinta poliisissa vuonna 2024” (Economic crime investigation by the Finnish police in 2024). The publication describes the views of economic crime investigation personnel of the Finnish police and the investigation process. The data has been compiled by means of a survey, and the results are compared with the corresponding data from 2015. The publication also presents police statistics on the number of economic crime cases in the 2000s.
More than 2,600 cases of economic crime were reported to the police in 2024, and nearly 2,200 criminal investigations were closed. There were 4,450 open cases at the end of 2024. The investigations recovered approximately 29 million euros in criminal proceeds, in other words as economic gain from criminal activities.
“There has been a distinct change in economic crime investigation since the mid-2010s. The number of open cases has doubled in ten years. At the same time, the amount of recovered proceeds of crime has become constantly smaller almost throughout this ten-year period,” comments Vesa Muttilainen, Senior Researcher of the Police University College.
Cases of economic crime are often complex and international
In the pre-trial investigation, the police classify cases of economic crime so that they are, among others, criminal cases related to business activities in which the goal is to obtain significant direct or indirect economic gain. The cases can be, for example, tax, accounting and debtor offences.
The cases under investigation are often complex and their document material is extensive. The respondents to the survey pointed out that challenges are also caused by missing materials, aspects related to the publicity of documents and the limitation of cases into entities to be investigated.
“The respondents to the survey think that it should be outlined clearly which cases are investigated by the economic crime units. The investigation processes should be described and good practices should be disseminated; as an example, the process should emphasize the preliminary processing of cases and the preparation of investigation. It should also be considered how investigation can be developed to meet the requirements of the changing operating environment,” notes Terhi Kankaanranta, Senior Researcher of the Police University College.
One of the facts that complicate the solving of economic crime is that it involves international connections, such as business operations transferred abroad or foreign bank accounts. The parties involved are also often of foreign background or live abroad. Moreover, these crimes utilize information networks and virtual banks to an increasing degree.
The average duration of the pre-trial investigation has increased
Based on the survey, economic crime investigation personnel spend more and more of their working hours investigating criminal cases that do not fall within the definition of economic crime. The investigators also work alone more than before. At the same time, there are less real-time investigations, which often require a lot of resources and teamwork. Through real-time investigation, the police can intervene in an ongoing criminal offence, which makes the investigation more efficient.
Because of the characteristics of economic crime and changes in investigative work, the duration of the investigation process has become longer. According to the statistics for 2024, the investigation of a case of economic crime took an average of almost 16 months, which is longer than at any time in the 2000s. The average time from the criminal event to the end of the investigation has increased clearly since the mid-2010s. In 2024, it was almost 32 months.
“The complexity and international nature of the cases together with the changes in the investigative work have affected how much criminal proceeds are recovered. Recovering the proceeds of crime usually requires real-time investigation, but the chances for this are not as good as before. There is an attempt to hide the proceeds of crime with the help of various virtual currencies, among other things, which brings an additional challenge to the matter. This is a tricky cycle, because the effectiveness of economic crime investigation is measured by issues such as the amount of criminal proceeds recovered,” says Superintendent Mika Ranki of the Police University College.
Competence and well-being at work are important success factors
According to the respondents, the key factors in the success of economic crime investigations include good supervision, sufficient resources, applicable competence, prioritization and outlining of cases, and effective co-operation.
The respondents were mainly satisfied with their work and were largely motivated to take care of their current tasks. On the other hand, more than one out of five felt burned out because of their work. Three out of four respondents had recommended a career in economic crime investigation. The changes from 2015 are minor.
“The survey shows that there is a desire to have more education in economic crime investigation. It should also be ensured that as many people as possible have access to education, irrespective of their official position. We must develop the methods of implementing education so that in addition to contact teaching, high-quality online studies are also available,” says Superintendent Mika Ranki.
Survey data from spring 2024
The study material was collected from the economic crime investigation personnel of the police using an electronic questionnaire in the spring of 2024. The target group consisted of 424 persons whose duties included economic crime investigations or tasks supporting it. There were 201 responses, giving a response rate of 47.4%.
The results of the follow-up study can be used in strategic planning, operational activities and education, among others.
