In addition to those two Chinese who were taken into police custody last Friday, the Vantaa District Court on Saturday remanded another three Chinese in an operation against suspected organisers of illegal immigration at the Nordic China Center market in Kouvola in the southeast of Finland.
The court proceedings were conducted behind closed doors without any audience.
Of the five Chinese remanded for further proceedings, three are men and two women. Four of them were taken into custody on probable cause over suspicion of aggravated expediting of illegal entry into Finland, while the fifth was remanded as there was reason to suspect that the person had also been involved in the illegal activities.
According to the investigations conducted by the Border Guard, a Chinese criminal group has acquired dozens of residence permits and visas under false pretences in order to arrange Chinese applicants’ illegal entry into the Schengen Zone.
A total of approximately 1,000 visas and 120 residence permits are under scrutiny.
The number of interrogations conducted by Saturday evening was 30.
Some Finnish citizens are also suspected of participation in the illegal activities.
