Indian film producer’s illegal activities more extensive than suspected

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The criminal activities of a middle-aged Indian film producer, who is under suspicion of bringing his countrymen illegally into Finland, could have been clearly more extensive than initially suspected.
      Nevertheless, it is obvious that the film producer’s Indian camera crew has simultaneously been making a real film in Finland.
     
The Finnish Border Guard announced about a week ago that the producer is under suspicion of having acquired more than a hundred entry visas under false pretexts.
      ”Now it seems that the organisation has planned to acquire yet another hundred entry visas”, notes Sami Paila, the officer in charge of the investigation.
      ”In addition, we have found some evidence of attempts to bring Indian people to Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Canada as well”, reports Paila.
     
In addition to the film producer, several other individuals are also suspected of criminal activities, but they are likely to be in India.
      ”I believe that the organisation is operating in India even now”, Paila says.
      Paila assumes that the destination of these Indian people has not been Finland, but some other country in the Schengen area. The Border Guard will investigate how many of those people who had been granted entry visas under false pretexts have actually arrived in the Schengen area.
      ”It is a major exercise, and it is possible that the number of arrivals will never be established”, Paila notes.
     
The Indian film crew’s visit to Finland turned dramatic on Monday of last week when the Finnish Border Guard arrested 11 Indian citizens in Espoo’s Korpilampi recreation centre.
      The Vantaa District Court remanded the film producer in custody upon probable cause over suspicion of aggravated expediting of illegal entry. At present, he is also suspected of aggravated forgery. The majority of the crew have already left Finland.
     
The officer in charge of the investigation cannot tell for sure whether or not the Indian camera crew were really making a movie in Finland or whether it was merely a cover operation.
      The film group had organised filming in Porvoo and in the Greater Helsinki area.
      ”They have been really filming”, Paila reports. ”We believe that the crew also involved real professionals, who were not necessarily aware of any potentially illegal activities.”
      The film producer has apparently been working in the movie business for some years. Two persons who were involved in the crew claimed that they are famous actors in India. The Border Guard has not checked the matter as yet.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland becoming major transit point for human trafficking (26.1.2007)
  Indian man held on suspicion of bringing countrymen illegally into European zone (8.9.2008)

Links:
  Finnish Border Guard

Helsingin Sanomat