Feb 19 • 18:45 UTC 🇫🇮 Finland Ilta-Sanomat

Large Police Operation at Turku Airport - Here’s Why

A significant police operation was conducted at Turku Airport to ensure security for a football match involving a Polish team known for extreme fans.

On Thursday afternoon, a large police operation took place at Turku Airport, involving multiple police units. This action was confirmed by the Southwest Finland police, which stated that the operation was connected to the Veikkausliiga football match scheduled for that evening in Tampere between KuPS and the Polish team Lech Poznan. The operation included foreign surveillance measures and took place over two days.

The police have reported an unusual risk assessment for the evening's match, specifically regarding the Polish team, whose extreme supporters have a notorious reputation. This concern stems from past incidents, including a previous match in Finland in 2013, where some supporters broke through barriers to invade the stands. This previous event heightened the vigilance of authorities, prompting them to allocate extensive police resources for crowd control and security at the match.

According to Harri Nojonen, the Chief Superintendent of the Central Finland police department, multiple police forces are collaborating on ensuring safety for the match. Despite attempts by the media to reach Nojonen for further commentary, he remained unavailable, indicating that security measures and police preparations are a top priority given the circumstances surrounding the match and the potential for unrest from fans.

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