Toomas Helin
Encyclopedia
Toomas Helin is an Estonian drug smuggler. Police considers Helin to have been among the leaders of the so-called Linnuvabriku group of organised crime.
of marijuana from Africa to Estonia
, Helin gained notoriety by his bail
, which was on 18 September 2002 set on 1.5 million Estonian crowns. , it's still the largest bail set in Estonia
.
In April 2005, Helin was convicted for several drug-related crimes, including the attempt to smuggle 973.46 kg
of marijuana from Malawi
to Estonia
, and sentenced to six years and six months of imprisonment. Along with him were convicted Indrek Sürje and Märt Joller. Notably, all three were cleared of charges of membership in criminal organisation, sometimes (incorrectly) compared with the Common Law
crime of criminal conspiracy.
In September 2007, he was released from prison. In April Helin was detained. On 30 April Estonian court decided to extradit him to Germany, suspected of organizing theft of luxury cars.
and elsewhere in Germany in the total value of about EUR 4 mln.
Stolen vehicles were quickly driven to South of France and Spain where they were sold with a huge profit.
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Drug smuggling
In 2002, when he was still under criminal investigation under suspicion of attempting to smuggle about a tonneTonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
of marijuana from Africa to Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Helin gained notoriety by his bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
, which was on 18 September 2002 set on 1.5 million Estonian crowns. , it's still the largest bail set in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
.
In April 2005, Helin was convicted for several drug-related crimes, including the attempt to smuggle 973.46 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
of marijuana from Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
to Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, and sentenced to six years and six months of imprisonment. Along with him were convicted Indrek Sürje and Märt Joller. Notably, all three were cleared of charges of membership in criminal organisation, sometimes (incorrectly) compared with the Common Law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
crime of criminal conspiracy.
In September 2007, he was released from prison. In April Helin was detained. On 30 April Estonian court decided to extradit him to Germany, suspected of organizing theft of luxury cars.
Car thefts
German prosecutors suspect that Helin may have been one of the men involved in masterminding theft of 64 luxury cars in Baden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
and elsewhere in Germany in the total value of about EUR 4 mln.
Stolen vehicles were quickly driven to South of France and Spain where they were sold with a huge profit.
Sources
- Eesti EkspressEesti EkspressEesti Ekspress was the first politically independent newspaper in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic during the Soviet control of Estonia. Making use of Gorbachev's policies of perestroika and glasnost, it was established as a weekly newspaper in 1989 by Hans H. Luik and others...
10 April 2002: Toomas Helin: "Politsei söödab mulle solki!" by Mihkel Kärmas
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