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Human smuggling ring connected to Iraq stands trial in Finland

Xinhua, January 17, 2017 Adjust font size:

Seven suspects were charged on Monday with human smuggling from Iraq to Finland, reported Finnish media.

The trial began in the Oulu District Court of Finland. Six of the suspects were present in the court.

According to the pre-trial investigation conducted by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, the gang was suspected of illegally arranging at least 87 Iraqis into Finland via Turkey and Greece during 2015.

Police said the group charged 6,000 to 8,000 U.S. dollars per journey.

Some of the suspects were also accused of other crimes, such as aggravated fraud.

Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat said the seven suspects included six men and one woman aged between 30 to 40 years old, and all of them were of foreign origin.

Three of the accused arrived in Finland as asylum seekers and have lived in the country for several years.

Members of the gang have operated at least in Iraq, Turkey, Greece, Germany and Finland.

In accordance with the Finnish law, aggravated facilitation of illegal entry may receive a sentence of between four months and six years in prison. The legal proceedings will last for six weeks, reported the daily. Endit