A case involving more than 30 defendants who stand accused of taking part in an illegal drug ring began in Ostrobothnia District Court on Monday.
Police said an investigation into the case revealed the suspects had imported a significant amount of drugs--including amphetamines, cannabis and cigarettes--valued at hundreds of thousands of euros.
The ring was allegedly led by the father of a family from Kristinestad, a municipality in western Finland near the Bothnian Sea.
The family's mother and their underage son are also facing charges, but have denied their guilt. The boy's legal defence was that he had no choice but to obey his father as he was 14 at the time of the alleged crimes. According to the prosecutor, at least 46 kg of amphetamines had been stored in the familyäs home.
Two other main defendants in the case resided in the same municipality, including a former Kristinestad city councillor who resigned from his post a few months ago, as well as a woman with Swedish nationality. The former city councillor stands accused of transporting amphetamines.
Other defendants include individuals from Kristinestad as well as the city of Vaasa.
The crimes were alleged to have taken place from autumn 2019 until spring 2020. The court has set aside eight days to hear the case.
