New robots and laboratory instruments speed up criminal investigations at Finnish Customs
The new robots at the Customs Laboratory work tirelessly compared to humans, and they can always perform their tasks exactly in the same way. The new laboratory instruments provide more detailed measurement data on narcotics, doping substances and medicines.
Finnish Customs has acquired new instruments for the Customs Laboratory for criminal investigations. The preparation robots and the UHPLC-HRMS equipment were obtained for Customs thanks to the Laboratory’s project Securing Europe, Improving Finnish Customs Laboratory. The project falls under the Customs Control Equipment Instrument (CCEI) of the European Union.
“Laboratory examinations are part of Customs’ tasks – preventing, uncovering and solving customs offences,” says Senior Customs Officer Ilmari Szilvay from the Customs Laboratory.
The total price of the instruments was about 1 200 000 euros, of which 80 per cent was funded by the EU’s Customs Control Equipment Instrument (CCEI). The CCEI’s Customs Laboratory project started in autumn 2022 and will end in August 2025.
Sample preparation is transferred from humans to robots
Preparation robots are used for handling samples related to illegal import and investigations of customs offences, such as samples of narcotics, doping substances and medicines.
“Preparation robots perform routine sample preparation tasks, which were carried out by hand until now. From now on, human labour can be directed more toward tasks that require reasoning ability, for example,” says Szilvay.
Sample preparation is time-consuming, and automating it with robots helps us handle an increasing number of samples.
“A preparation robot can work nights and weekends without ever getting tired. A robot also always prepares the samples in exactly the same way, which means that the variation caused by work done by hand decreases,” says Szilvay.
The automated examination process also produces results more quickly.
“Short examination times are important, so that legal goods can continue onwards and illegal goods can be brought under criminal investigation as quickly as possible,” Szilvay says.
The new equipment provides even more comprehensive examination results
The UHPLC-HRMS equipment intended for criminal investigations is also used for analysing narcotics, doping substances and medicines.
“By identifying narcotics, for example, Customs can hold persons liable for illegal import and prevent the substances from ending up on the street market,” says Customs Chemist Ilja Ritamo from the Customs Laboratory.
This equipment replaces the old equipment that is based on similar technology and that has reached the end of its service life.
“The new equipment is more developed and faster than the old one. It produces more accurate and comprehensive measurement data than its predecessor, which means that one set of measuring equipment provides even more reliable results. In criminal investigations, the results are usually always verified with at least two different instrument technologies,” says Ritamo.
Finnish Customs obtained the new instruments thanks to CCEI funding
The specific objective of the funding instrument CCEI (Customs Control Equipment Instrument) is to harmonise the customs control equipment and methods used within the EU. This objective is met in practice by purchasing, maintaining and upgrading reliable, state-of-the-art customs control equipment.
The aim of the CCEI is also to strengthen security in the EU and its member states, to facilitate legitimate business activity and to protect the financial interest of the EU from unfair and illegal trade.
