The Finnish media reported Tuesday that three employees of the Finnish embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara were suspended as they were suspected of issuing illegal visas. Hundreds of illegal entries to the country were detected due to the actions of three suspects who include Finnish and Turkish citizens.

The website of YLE, Finland's public broadcaster, reported that the suspects issued Schengen Area visas under false pretenses and faced potential charges of aggravated facilitation of illegal entry and aggravated abuse of public office. Quoted by YLE, Antti Leskela, the Finnish Border Guard's officer in charge of criminal investigation said that the probe focused on hundreds of visas but the actual number would only become clear in the preliminary investigation.

The Finnish Foreign Ministry was monitoring suspects' activities for a few months and one unidentified suspect had already been remanded into custody in Finland, awaiting trial.