Finland

The main duties of the Border Guard are to control Finland’s external land and sea borders, cross-border crime prevention and ensuring security in territorial waters. Other duties include oil-spill detection in Finland’s territorial waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone. Cross-border crime prevention includes trafficking in persons and facilitation of unauthorised entry. The Border Guard performs pre-trial investigations independently or in cooperation with the Police or Customs. Information regarding organised crime is submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation, which acts as the Finnish national unit for Europol. The Border Guard investigates several dozen cases related to the facilitation of unauthorised entry every year. The most extensive criminal investigations into illegal immigration ever undertaken were completed in 2007 in collaboration with foreign agencies. The perpetrators represented an organised international group of criminals, which was found to operate not only in Finland but also in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russian Federation, Italy and India.

The Customs in Finland have the competence to expose and investigate cross-border crime, and to submit the offences to prosecutors for consideration after the investigation. Competence in the fields of preventing, detecting and investigating crimes (including serious crime) is limited to offences connected to the Customs’ general control and fiscal competence, and which otherwise involve the cross-border movement of goods. These are often drug crimes, smuggling cases, tax frauds and offences against intellectual property rights. Investigation methods are similar to those of the Police. All national provisions on coercive measures and preliminary investigation apply equally to the Finnish Customs (excluding undercover operations).

Police powers and the key principles of policing in Finland have been formulated in accordance with constitutional and human rights, and to ensure that the Finnish Police are capable of effective cooperation in the fight against international crime. In addition, police operations are guided by police ethics and public expectations. Under national legislation, the function of the Finnish Police is to secure judicial and social order, to maintain public order and security, to prevent and investigate crimes, and to submit cases to prosecutors for consideration of charges. The Police also have to perform such other duties as are separately provided for them by law, and provide anyone with assistance if it falls within their mandate. The Finnish Police operate on the basis of performance guidance procedures, and the main focus areas and targets are re-evaluated annually in a performance plan.