The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is investigating a series of suspicious packages sent to political party offices earlier this year as cases of suspected terrorism, according to information obtained by Yle.
The incidents began occurring on 16 February, after a suspicious package arrived at the party office of the Left Alliance in Tampere. In the same city a week later, another package arrived at the office of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Later, additional suspicious parcels arrived at an SDP office in Turku and a Left Alliance office in Pori.
The NBI is investigating a total of seven such incidents, including three at party offices in Helsinki, one at a Left Alliance office and two others which have not been made public.
Helsinki police confirmed in early March that similar packages had been sent to various party offices in the city after 16 February.
Most of those seven cases were initially investigated as illegal threats. Police later began to suspect that the incidents had terrorist intent.
Generally, crimes committed with terrorist intent are acts that are already considered crimes but specifically motivated by terrorism. An example of such a crime would be making a threat with the intent to cause fear.
The NBI is leading the probes of all of the cases. Yle was unsuccessful in reaching the lead investigator, Sanna Springare, about the matter.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Yle was unaware whether there are any suspects in the case.
Police were also notified about packages that arrived at the offices of the National Coalition and Christian Democratic parties, but it was found that both of the packages contained advertising materials.