Sixteen arrested individuals were believed to be involved in the scheme, including citizens of India, Pakistan, Holland and Sweden. At least one of the detainees is a Finnish citizen, whereas at least two other suspects had been living in Finland for some time. Members of the group tried to convince potential customers, living under poor conditions, about the benefits of living in Europe, sometimes promising jobs and asylum upon arrival.
Earlier this year, Finland's Defense Minister Jussi Niinistö of the True Finns' party accused Russia of launching a "hybrid war" by means of dispatching large groups of migrants through the border. In March, Russia and Finland agreed to introduce temporary border restrictions in order to put a stop to illegal migration, whereupon the flow of refugees without valid documents dropped significantly.