Toomas Helin

Toomas Helin (born 24 April 1966 in Pärnu) is an Estonian drug smuggler. Police considers Helin to have been among the leaders of the so-called Linnuvabriku group of organised crime. [Eesti Päevaleht 13 May 2000: [http://www.epl.ee/?artikkel=67046 Tagaotsituimad eestlased andsid end üles] by Risto Berendsen]

Drug smuggling

In 2002, when he was still under criminal investigation under suspicion of attempting to smuggle about a tonne of marijuana from Africa to Estonia, Helin gained notoriety by his bail, which was on 18 September 2002 set on 1.5 million Estonian crowns. [Eesti Ekspress 14 November 2002: [http://www.ekspress.ee/viewdoc/407F224EFD964752C2256C6F00555C17 Kohus ei maksa rekordkautsjonit tagasi] by Mihkel Kärmas] As of 2007, it's still the largest bail set in Estonia.

In april 2005, Helin was convicted for several drug-related crimes, including the attempt to smuggle 973.46 kg of marijuana from Malawi to Estonia, and sentenced to six years and six months of imprisonment. [Postimees/BNS 21 September 2007: [http://www.postimees.ee/220907/esileht/krimi/uudised/284622.php Toomas Helin taotleb enda vanglast vabastamist] ] Along with him were convicted Indrek Sürje and Märt Joller. Notably, all three were cleared of charges of "membership in criminal organisation", sometimes (incorrectly) compared with the Common Law crime of criminal conspiracy.

In september 2007, he was released from prison. In April Helin was detained. On 30 April Estonian court decided to extradit him to Germany, suspected of organizing theft of luxury cars.

Car thefts

German prosecutors suspect that Helin may have been one of the men involved in masterminding theft of 64 luxury cars in Baden-Würtemberg and elsewhere in Germany in the total value of about EUR 4 mln.

Stolen vehicles were quickly driven to South of France and Spain where they were sold with a huge profit.

References

Sources

* Eesti Ekspress 10 April 2002: [http://www.ekspress.ee/viewdoc/B7D7DFC25FBC21F3C2256B96004A0833 Toomas Helin: "Politsei söödab mulle solki!"] by Mihkel Kärmashttp://bbn.ee/Default2.aspx?ArticleID=e41adc26-0127-44ac-b09f-2198b4409e7d