Finnish berry boss jailed after a court found Thai workers were trafficked into forced labour. Polarica ex-CEO Jukka Kristo was convicted on 78 counts as a scandal over debt, poor conditions and exploitation triggered compensation and Thailand-Finland talks.
A landmark human trafficking case has rocked Finland’s berry industry after a court jailed former Polarica chief Jukka Kristo and convicted his Thai associate over the exploitation of Thai workers who arrived seeking income but instead faced debt, brutal conditions and a system the court ruled was forced labour. The verdict, involving 78 trafficking convictions, millions of baht in compensation, appeals from both sides and a halt to Thai berry workers travelling to Finland, has exposed the darker side of the Nordic country’s wild berry industry.
A Finnish court has jailed a former berry company executive after finding he trafficked Thai seasonal workers and subjected them to forced labour. The judgment follows one of Finland’s largest human trafficking cases involving Thai berry pickers.
The Lapland District Court convicted former Polarica chief executive Jukka Kristo on 78 counts of human trafficking. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Alongside him, Thai business associate Kalyakorn Phongphit was convicted of the same offences and received a nine-month prison sentence.
However, the court noted that Kalyakorn had already received a three-year prison sentence last year. That separate conviction involved another berry company and a different trafficking case.
Finnish court jails former Polarica chief and Thai associate in major human trafficking case in Finland
The case centred on Finland’s 2022 wild berry harvesting season. During that year, a record 4,000 Thai workers travelled to the Nordic country to collect wild berries. According to the court, Kristo and Kalyakorn recruited workers by giving misleading information about expected earnings and working conditions.
As a result, many Thai workers arrived in Finland carrying heavy debts from travel and living expenses. They had expected substantial income from the berry season. Instead, many earned very little despite long days spent collecting berries in forests.
Furthermore, the workers had no regular days off. Their debts continued to increase the pressure on them to remain. Therefore, the court found that many had few realistic alternatives but to continue working. The judges concluded that the berry-picking arrangements had become forced labour.
Notably, the investigation uncovered poor accommodation conditions. Some workers lived in overcrowded housing with inadequate facilities. In several locations, accommodation lacked proper shower facilities.
Thai workers faced debts, poor housing and harsh conditions during the Finnish season with forced labour
As part of the evidence, prosecutors detailed the food supplied to workers. Meals frequently consisted of boiled chicken legs, salmon heads and raw liver. The court considered these conditions when assessing the overall treatment of the workers.
Separately, investigators discovered that workers’ passports and return flight tickets were collected after their arrival in Finland. Consequently, many workers told investigators they feared retaliation if they complained or challenged their conditions.
The prosecution argued that the workers had become trapped by debt and circumstances. In turn, the court accepted that they had limited practical choices and continued working to repay what they owed.
In addition to imprisonment, Kristo received further penalties. He was banned from conducting business activities for five years. The court also ordered him to forfeit his military rank.
Court orders compensation, fines and bans as convicted pair prepare appeals after trafficking ruling
Meanwhile, the court imposed significant financial penalties on the defendants and the company. Kristo, Kalyakorn and Polarica were ordered to pay €500,000, or approximately 19 million baht, in compensation for suffering and financial losses suffered by the victims.
In parallel, Polarica was fined €150,000. The defendants and the company were also ordered to pay about €400,000 in legal costs.
Prosecutors had sought tougher punishment. They demanded five-year prison terms for both Kristo and Kalyakorn. However, the court imposed shorter sentences after considering the case.
Both defendants denied wrongdoing during the trial. In response to the ruling, they announced plans to appeal. Prosecutors will also appeal because they are seeking harsher penalties.
For that reason, the judgment is not yet final and remains subject to further legal proceedings.
Thailand and Finland renegotiate berry worker terms after trafficking case exposes worker abuses
Beyond the courtroom, the case has affected labour arrangements between Finland and Thailand. Reports about the treatment of Thai workers prompted Bangkok to halt the departure of berry pickers to Finland.
Since then, both governments have entered discussions on revised terms for future seasonal work. The suspension remains in place while Thailand and Finland renegotiate those arrangements.
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Ultimately, the Lapland District Court ruling provides a detailed account of how dozens of Thai workers were recruited, became heavily indebted and worked under poor conditions during the record 2022 berry season. The case has become one of the most significant human trafficking prosecutions involving Finland’s berry industry.
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