Detective chief inspector Olli Koski says that information coming from elsewhere in Europe indicates that authorities are seeing evidence of criminal groups operating in new areas.
Police say that apart from the drug trade, nowadays underworld gangs are active in construction, collections companies, doorman services and winter maintenance. Koski said that their presence distorts competition and has also introduced violence into some sectors.
"According to Europol statistics about 3,600 criminal gangs are operating in Europe, about 80 of them in Finland," Koski told Yle.
Koski added that the culture of silence in underworld groups makes investigation difficult and that breaking the silence often results in group sanctions being imposed on non-compliant members.
On Tuesday the Espoo District Court began hearing a case against members of a motorcycle gang accused of violence, as well as financial and drug offences.