The criminal investigation has covered a range of suspected offences across the territories of three reindeer herding co-operatives, including aggravated money laundering, aggravated fraud, aggravated hunting offences and an aggravated nature conservation offence.
The National Bureau of Investigation and the Lapland Border Guard have concluded their criminal investigation into an extensive series of property, financial and hunting offences in Upper Lapland. The investigation covered a range of suspected offences, including aggravated money laundering, aggravated fraud, aggravated hunting offences and an aggravated nature conservation offence. The case involves around 15 suspects in total, with the alleged offences believed to have been committed between 2020 and 2025.
In this investigation, the National Bureau of Investigation was responsible the financial and property offences, while the Lapland Border Guard investigated the hunting offences and nature conservation offences.
The National Bureau of Investigation has investigated suspected thefts of reindeer and the concealment of stolen reindeer across the territories of three herding co-operatives. The investigation also uncovered suspected aggravated fraud in the claims process for predator damage and road traffic accident compensation. In June 2025, the police and the Lapland Border Guard carried out a number of searches of premises and arrests in Upper Lapland, seizing evidence in connection with the suspected offences. Over the summer and autumn, investigators reviewed the material seized in the context of the searches and conducted interviews.
– This case being investigated has been an extremely extensive one, and the criminal matters under investigation have been thoroughly examined. This is, in my view, one of the most extensive criminal investigations into the reindeer herding industry in recent decades, says Head of Investigation, Detective Superintendent Teemu Mäntyniemi of the National Bureau of Investigation.
The suspects and their associates are alleged to have been involved in money laundering by transferring stolen reindeer into their ownership, then concealing the animals' origin by re-marking them with their ear tags or ear notches, or registering them for slaughter in their names.
Illegal bear hunting investigated by Lapland Border Guard
The Lapland Border Guard investigated suspected aggravated hunting and nature conservation offences alleged to have been committed in the spring of 2025. The case comprises several separate incidents, mostly relating to the illegal bear hunting in the reindeer herding area, with the criminal investigation establishing that the motive was to reduce predator damage to reindeer.
The suspected offences were committed between April and May, when snow still covered much of the terrain and snowmobiles could still be used. Spring snow provides ideal tracking conditions, with animal trails remaining clearly visible over long distances. At the same time, the vast and sparsely populated wilderness and unpredictable weather conditions present significant challenges both for patrolling and for the preservation of evidence.
– According to information gathered during the investigation, bears were traced by snowmobile, then driven into the open and tracked by several individuals working in concert, with the aim of chasing them into a place where they could be killed. Suspects may also have used dogs to assist in the tracking, says Head of the Investigation, Lieutenant Frans Hietanen of the Lapland Border Guard.
The investigation has also revealed indications that the suspects may have planned their activities in advance, and that afterwards they attempted to cover their tracks, for instance by driving over the scene of the incident with snowmobiles or removing the carcasses from the site. The investigation also uncovered suspected aggravated nature conservation offences directed against large birds of prey. According to the investigation, there have been attempts to trap and shoot protected golden eagles in remote areas.
The suspected offences include both hunting without the required licences and non-compliance with the conditions of special permits. The investigation suggests that hunting may have commenced in situations where the bear was not at or in the immediate vicinity of a reindeer carcass, as required by the special permit, but had instead been located elsewhere in the terrain and driven out. The cases also share a common feature of the unlawful use of motor vehicles in hunting.
The criminal investigation has been completed, and the case has been referred to the Northern Finland Prosecution District for consideration of charges.
If you witness any activity of this nature, please report it to the authorities. For the police, please contact: Police online tip-off and for the Border Guard, Give the Border Guard a tip
