Smuggler raid on snuff shop in Haparanda

Smuggler raid on snuff shop in Haparanda

Published: Less than 20 min ago

full screen A snuff shop in Haparanda is suspected of being involved in a smuggling ring. Archive image. Photo: Claudio Bresciani / TT

The police have raided a snuff shop in Haparanda in connection with suspicions of aiding and abetting serious smuggling. Two people have been arrested in the raid.

They are suspected of having helped a league from South America to smuggle snus to Finland worth hundreds of thousands of kroner, reports SVT Norrbotten.

The investigation began when a man was arrested earlier this year outside the Customs Office’s premises on the border between Haparanda and Torneå, with cash in euros to the value of SEK 850,000 in his backpack. The man also had receipts for snus purchases of large sums from two different stores, and had borrowed the car he used from the people behind one store.

He was sentenced in May to one year in prison and deportation.

The people behind the shop where the raid was carried out are suspected of having sold snus to the man, despite knowing that the snus would go to Finland, according to the prosecutor. It is only permitted to bring snus into Finland for personal use.

afbl-general-01