Finnish berry magnate sentenced to prison in the case of pickers from Thailand

Jukka Kriston, the former president and CEO of the Finnish berry company Polarica Berry, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison in the case of Thai berry pickers. This was reported on June 8 by the Finnish newspaper Karjalainen.

"The District Court of Lapland has read to Kristolla charges of 78 basic forms of human trafficking," the publication says.

According to the prosecution, in 2022, the company recruited workers from Thailand to harvest wild berries in Finland, creating conditions for them related to debt addiction and forced labor.

As the court found, the collectors were provided with incomplete and overly optimistic information about earning opportunities. After arriving in Finland, many of them found themselves burdened with travel, accommodation, and organizational expenses.

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