On a spring day in May, a tow truck entrepreneur from Keminmaa Helge Johansson went to rescue a driver from Finland whose car had frozen in the vicinity of Haaparanta in Northern Sweden, near the Finnish border. There, a startling and confusing sight awaited him.
Dozens of dogs were crammed into the small van, and three horses were crammed into the small transport cart behind the car.
– The situation was startling. The smell coming from the car was so nauseating that I started to vomit. The dog’s urine spilled through the floor of the car onto the road, Johansson recalls the situation.
According to Johansson, the van driver would have liked to get back to the Finnish side. However, Johansson decided to stop at Swedish customs to check the car with his dogs.
– First the driver said that there are 12 dogs in the car, but I noticed that something shady was going on. I thought that everything is not quite right here, and I drove to the customs inspection.
“The vet stated that the transport will now be suspended”
According to Johansson, customs checked the contents of the car and also called a veterinarian and the police. During the inspection, it was revealed that there were up to 80 dogs in the van.
– At customs, the veterinarian stated that the transport will now be suspended. However, the cargo could not be unloaded at customs, but they were asked to take it to Pajala, a 2-3 hour drive away. The woman driving the van had acquaintances there, says Johansson.
On the way to Pajala, Johansson talked with the van driver and was confused by what he heard.
– He got on the tow truck with a couple of puppies in his arms and said that in Germany the puppies might fetch up to 2,000-3,000 euros each. Maybe he started to explain the number of dogs and the final purpose of his trip, Johansson thinks.
After taking the van with its cargo to Pajala, Johansson’s job was over. According to him, the Swedish authorities continued to investigate the matter.
The Swedish Agricultural Agency decided to euthanize the dogs
The Swedish Agency for Agriculture made the decision to euthanize the dogs as soon as possible after the takeover. Unit manager of the Agricultural Agency by Simon Löfgren according to which the decision to terminate was made due to the high risk of infectious disease.
Information on the origin, history or vaccinations of the animals was incomplete or non-existent.
– Some dogs had documents, others did not. The veracity of the information could not be verified, and organizing isolation or quarantine for such a large number of dogs would not have been possible. We had no choice but to order the animals to be euthanized immediately, says Simon Löfgren.
Three horses have been isolated, and disease samples have been taken from them. According to Löfgren, the fate of the animals is decided when the results are obtained.
The Agricultural Agency has not filed a criminal complaint about the incident. According to Löfgren, the agency is now preparing its position on the matter and is considering whether to take legal action against the woman who smuggled the animals.
The county government of Norrbotten has not filed a criminal complaint either, at least so far.
– The provincial government gathers together the facts related to the case and then decides whether there is reason to suspect the woman who brought the dogs into the country of violating the Animal Protection Act or even of animal cruelty, says the director of the animal protection unit Anna Modig.
According to the Swedish police, it has not been notified of a crime, nor has the police voluntarily initiated an investigation into the case.
– At the time of the incident, the county government has asked the police for official assistance, but there is no criminal investigation pending, says the director of preliminary investigations Kimmo Ritjärvi From the East Norrbotten police district.
The couple who received the dogs in Pajala: The dogs were dirty
Meänraatio, part of Sveriges Radio, has interviewed the couple, who also reported the dogs and horses to the Swedish police.
A couple living in Tornionlaakso on the Swedish side, Mike and Yvonnesays in an interview that he received a call from a woman from whom they had previously bought horses.
They say that the woman asked for help now because her car had broken down in Haparanta and she needed a place where it could be towed. According to the couple, the woman told them that she had “six dogs and three horses” with her.
The couple also says in the interview that they were shocked when they saw how many dogs there really were. According to the couple, the dogs were dirty and in varying condition. There were several breeds of dogs. On the other hand, there were three horses in a carriage intended for two horses.
received from Meänraatio a picture of the Volkswagen Transit in which the dogs had been transported. The car has German license plates. Meänration editor Annika Lanton according to the information, the woman who drove it is about 60 years old. The Swedish authorities are not sure of the woman’s citizenship.
According to Lanto’s information, the woman was given a ride back to Finland on Monday, and she may have been able to continue her journey.
Lantto says that the Norrbotten county government has confirmed to him that the couple who made the report are not suspected of any crime in the case.
Finnish Animal Welfare Association: “the incident is unfortunate, but not surprising”
Executive Director of the Finnish Animal Protection Association Kati Whiten illegal animal trade is common in Europe.
– The case in question is unfortunate, but not terribly surprising. Illegal animal trade is common in Europe. Dogs are smuggled into Finland, for example, through a port from Eastern Europe.
According to White, the background is organized crime and the benefits from the illegal animal trade are still great compared to the risks.
The Finnish police and customs are silent
Lapland Police Department’s Crime Commissioner Pälvi Suokas says that they are indeed aware of the case, but do not investigate it and therefore do not comment on it in any way. Head of Criminal Investigation at Customs Hannu Sinkkonen also refuses to comment on the case in question, the possible preliminary investigation of which is by the Swedish authorities.
According to Sinkkonen, similar cases rarely happen from time to time.
– Usually people transport their own animals across the border and the papers are in order, says Sinkkonen.
Customs monitors all licensed exports and imports at the borders. The objects of transport are usually snuff and drugs, not animals.
Since both Sweden and Finland are EU countries, there is free movement between the countries. Customs’ control at the border is based on the information and observations it receives, and for example random control is not carried out at all. When cargo requiring permits is detected, the permits are checked. In the case of animals, this means, for example, checking vaccination certificates and microchipping.