Finnish Police Arrest Nine on Suspicion of Trafficking Chinese Workers at Kotka Battery Plant; Four in Pre-Trial Detention
Finnish police said on October 30 that they have launched a pre-trial investigation and arrested nine people on suspicion that workers who came from China to work at a battery materials factory construction site in the city of Kotka were victims of human trafficking. Four of the nine are currently in pre-trial detention.
According to Reuters, police said in a statement that the investigation concerns the personnel and activities of a Finnish staffing agency and a Chinese client company, and that they also suspect criminal activity in the arrangements related to the employees' entry into Finland. A police spokesperson declined to comment on the potential number of victims or whether the suspects had given statements; the identities and nationalities of those arrested have not been released, and the case remains under investigation.
Finland's broadcaster Yle has reported that the site employed as many as about 300 Chinese workers at its summer peak, some of whom speak only Chinese, and that Yle reported as early as August on suspected unlawful employment contracts and threats at the site. The project was initially promoted as an investment of about 800 million euros expected to create hundreds of jobs. Plant owner Easpring Finland New Materials and staffing company Eezy both said they are cooperating with the authorities.
The Chinese embassy in Helsinki did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Police said the investigation may take a long time.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：芬兰科特卡港区。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The harbour at Kotka, Finland. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
