The Finnish police have arrested three individuals suspected of involvement in ISIS-related activities last week.
According to a police statement reported by Alhurra TV, the three men, all in their thirties, were apprehended in Helsinki, Finland’s capital. Their names were not disclosed, and they are not Finnish citizens.
Detective Inspector Mikko Salminen from the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation refrained from revealing further details about the suspicion but noted that the crime under investigation is “highly uncommon” in Finland.
The police emphasized that there is no evidence indicating the suspects were planning terrorist attacks. However, Salminen stated that “they are suspected of contributing to the activities of an extremist terrorist group,” and added, “We believe this is linked to ISIS activities.”
The authorities believe the crimes took place in 2023 and 2024, although the exact timeframe is still being confirmed.
The suspects were arrested by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation last week, and the Helsinki District Court placed them in pretrial detention on September 13.
In recent years, European countries have seen numerous arrests of individuals linked to ISIS. In Germany, authorities have arrested multiple suspects in connection with ISIS activities. For example, in April 2024, seven suspects were charged with supporting ISIS and planning attacks in Germany. These men, originally from Central Asia, had been involved in scouting potential targets for attacks across Western Europe. Some were connected to ISIS-K, the Afghan offshoot of ISIS, which was involved in terrorist attacks.
Earlier in 2023, nine individuals from Central Asia were arrested in Germany and the Netherlands for their role in financing ISIS and plotting attacks . Similarly, in May 2023, German authorities arrested seven people accused of collecting and transferring nearly $75,000 to ISIS members in Syria. This money was used to help ISIS members escape detention camps in northern Syria.
Turkey has also been a transit point for foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), including those affiliated with ISIS. Turkish authorities have arrested several individuals attempting to move through Turkey to rejoin ISIS, and repatriation of European ISIS fighters from Turkey to their home countries has continued to be a significant issue.
