Crime Prevention as a core task of the Finnish Border Guard
Crime prevention is one of the core functions of the Finnish Border Guard. We ensure Finland's internal security in the Border Guard's crime prevention. In crime prevention, our focus is on cyber crime intelligence and the prevention of crime in connection with marine multisectoral accidents.
The aim of our crime prevention is to uncover, prevent and investigate crimes related to illegal entry that come to light as a result of the activities of the Border Guard. Smuggling and trafficking of human beings and facilitation of illegal entry into Finland are among the most serious types of cross-border crime.
Combating of crime in marine multisectoral accidents
Our task is to uncover, prevent and investigate marine offences under the Water Traffic Act, Maritime Act and the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport. A multisectoral accident is a major accident that in addition to human lives also endangers the environment, a vessel and its cargo or other property.
Saving human lives, combating environmental damage, and crime prevention are some of the tasks of the Finnish Border Guard in multisectoral accidents. In such accidents, the task of our crime prevention team is to determine whether there is reason to suspect that an offence has been committed.
In multisectoral accidents occurring in the open sea, ensuring a successful investigation requires that resources normally allocated to maritime search and rescue and combating of environmental damage are also used for crime prevention. In the sharing of resources, priority is always given to saving human lives but at the same time, we must also ensure the documentation of information important to criminal investigation.
Cyber crime intelligence requires continuous adaptation to a changing operating environment
In the information society, criminals have also moved to the online environment. Organising journeys, obtaining documents and even the directing of the journeys now take place online or using a variety of different applications. For this reason, cyber crime intelligence must adapt to a rapidly changing operating environment. This is why we are continuously investing in our own cyber crime intelligence capability to ensure that it can meet current and future challenges.
Finnish Border Guard also deals with less serious offences uncovered as part of its surveillance work
In addition to preventing serious crime, we also deal with other suspected offences of less serious nature uncovered as part of our surveillance operations. These include driving while intoxicated, waterway traffic intoxication, water traffic offences and violations, and hunting and fishing offences. We have the authority to conduct a criminal investigation if we suspect that the suspected offence falls within the scope of the offences investigated by the Finnish Border Guard or if the offence is uncovered in connection with an offence investigated by the Finnish Border Guard.
Unique PTR cooperation with the Finnish Police and Finnish Customs
We cooperate with the Finnish Police and Finnish Customs under an arrangement known as PTR cooperation. This is an internationally unique arrangement, which allows us to tackle serious cross-border crime effectively and in a flexible manner. As part of the PTR cooperation, we maintain a joint real-time situational picture based on analysed data. The common goal of the PTR authorities is to promote security in a flexible, rapid and effective manner and to help to make Finland the safest country in the world.
