Southwest Finland police investigate teen‑run boat motor theft ring

Southwest Finland police are probing a series of thefts targeting small outboard motors and fuel cans from leisure boats in the region. The investigation covers 22 cases reported between spring and early summer in Sauvossa, Kemiössä, Salossa and Naantalissa, of which 16 involve stolen motors and the remainder involve gasoline canisters. Five suspects, aged 15‑20, are alleged to have acted in two‑ or three‑person groups, using cars to reach the boats, wearing masks and breaking locked storage boxes to remove the items. The stolen motors, worth a few hundred to several thousand euros each, were later sold on online marketplaces through multiple fabricated or personal accounts, a process hampered by platform account closures.

Police commissioner Maria Sainio said the case is “exceptional because of the suspects’ young age and because most of them are first‑time offenders.” The investigation remains open, with the total number of incidents possibly increasing as new reports emerge.