FINLAND: 2005 INCSR SUPPLEMENTAL STATISTICAL DATA

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000328

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL, EUR/NB
JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS, AND NDDS
TREASURY FOR FINCEN
DEA FOR OILS AND OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: 2005 INCSR SUPPLEMENTAL STATISTICAL DATA

REF: A. HELSINKI 00122


B. 04 STATE 248987


1. (U) Post obtained the following statistics regarding
narcotics arrests and seizures from Finland's National Bureau
of Investigation (NBI).


2. (U) Arrests: There were 654 felony arrests for
narcotics in 2004 and 15,338 total drug-related arrests.
Most of the non-felony arrests were for possession of small
amounts of narcotics. Felony arrests were down from 826 in
2003; total arrests were down from 15,996 in 2003.

529 of the felony arrests in 2004 were of Finnish nationals.
57 were of Estonians, 18 were of Russians, and 10 were of
Vietnamese. There was a marked decrease in felony arrests of
Estonian nationals. From 2001-2002, 327 Estonians were
arrested in Finland for felony narcotics offenses inside
Finland; from 2003-2004, there were only 138 Estonians
arrested.


3. (U) Cannabis: In 2004, there were 2626 cases involving
hashish, 2067 involving marijuana, and 1404 involving the
seizure of "cannabis plants." Arrests for marijuana and
"cannabis plants" were up from 2003, but cases involving
hashish were slightly lower. Since 2001, narcotics cases
involving marijuana have doubled; police attribute this to
changing consumption habits among Finnish youth and the use
of the EU's Schengen Treaty (which allows for entry without
inspection among participating EU states) to facilitate
importation of marijuana from Spain. Most of the marijuana
cases involved arrests for simple possession of small amounts
of the drug.

Total seizures of hashish in 2004 were 467.4 KG, up from
423.1 KG in 2003. Marijuana seizures totaled 35.8 KG.


4. (U) Methamphetamine and 'Club Drugs': There were 3392
cases involving methamphetamines in 2004, down from 3687 in

2003. There were 328 cases involving ecstasy in 2004, up
from 316 in 2003. There were 844 cases involving subutex in
2004, down from 1008 in 2003. Finnish police report that
most methamphetamine and ecstasy comes from Estonia. Ecstasy
and other MDMA-type drugs are reportedly readily available in
metropolitan areas in dance clubs catering to Finnish youth
and at "raves." There was also a smaller reported incidence
of drugs such as GBH, ketamine ("Vitamin K"),etc.

Total seizures of methamphetamine in 2004 were 101.8 KG, down
from 114.6 KG in 2003. There were 23,243 ecstasy tablets
seized in 2004, down from 35,216 in 2003. There were 32,970
tablets of subutex seized in 2004, down from 37,284 in 2003.


5. (U) Heroin and Cocaine: There were 45 narcotics cases
involving heroin in 2004, down from 100 in 2003, and 557 in

2001. There were 65 cases involving cocaine in 2004, up from
49 in 2003. Police attribute at least some of the rapid
drop-off in heroin cases to fear of low-quality heroin that
began to appear in Finland in 2002. As heroin arrests and
seizures have fallen, subutex arrests and seizures have
correspondingly increased, indicating that many former heroin
users have switched to the more easily obtainable (and
presumably safer) subutex.

There were 1.1 KG of cocaine seized in 2004, the same amount
as in 2003. Cocaine use is relatively rare in Finland.


6. (U) Geographic Distribution of Arrests and Seizures:
Most arrests occurred in larger, southern cities such as
Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere. Fewer occurred in Lapland and
in the Oulu area along the Bothnian Coast. The Helsinki
port-of-entry recorded the most felony seizures and arrests,
chiefly of smugglers from Estonia.


MACK