Dozens of boxes of illegal bear meat seized by Helsinki police

Helsinki police have reported the seizure of dozens of boxes of bear meat from a local business in June. The meat was found in a cold storage facility, along with bear bones, ears, and frozen paws. The estimated illegal stockpile includes about 600 kilograms of bear parts, with some of the meat and bones being several years old or of unclear origin.

The investigation was initiated following an international information exchange. Police have interrogated several individuals suspected of being involved in the crime. According to the police, bear meat and likely other body parts had been sold for several years. The investigation revealed that at least some of the bear parts were imported into Finland from another EU country.

“Bears are among the species protected by the EU Nature Directive. The bear is one of the most strictly regulated species under the EU’s CITES regulation. Therefore, the sale of bear parts always requires an exception permit,” stated Harri Saaristola, the investigation’s lead officer, in a press release.

The Finnish Environment Institute also emphasized that the sale of bear meat necessitates EU certification, reiterating that bears are one of the strictly controlled species under EU’s CITES regulation.