Three get prison sentences for organising illegal immigration
Nigerians brought to Finland with help of forged certificates
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Three Nigerian men have been sentenced to prison terms for arranging illegal entry into Finland by Nigerian citizens with the help of forged certificates.
The three Nigerian men were sentenced at Vantaa District Court on Thursday.
Two of the three were found guilty of aggravated organising of illegal entry and of aggravated forgery. They were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
The court found that the men had used forged certificates to get Nigerians accepted to study at institutions in Finland.
According to the court, the group tried to arrange for 126 Nigerian citizens to come to Finland. Nine of these were granted visas, and arrived in this country.
The events took place between 2004 and 2008. The court saw the group as an organised team of criminals, involving three men in Nigeria, in addition to the defendants themselves.
In addition to the prison sentences, 28-year-old Olushola Moses Labiran and 27-year-old John Olalekan Olabroan were ordered to forfeit EUR 200 in profits from a criminal enterprise.
Another branch of the case involved using letters of invitation to acquire visas to Finland. In addition to a Nigerian and a Finnish citizen of Nigerian background, the accused included the Finnish girlfriends of Nigerian men, who had written the invitations.
Seventeen Nigerians applied for Finnish visas on the basis of the invitations. A few of them got into Finland.
The Nigerian who was seen as the main culprit was sentenced to a year and ten months imprisonment for organising illegal entry. He will have to forfeit thousands of euros in profit from the crimes.
A Finnish citizen, seen to be an accomplice, was given an 11-month suspended sentence.
The court acquitted five women. One was given a 60-day fine for aiding and abetting.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 5.6.2009 - TODAY |
 Three get prison sentences for organising illegal immigration |
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