A Finnish court on Tuesday opened what officials called the country’s largest human trafficking trial, bringing 78 charges against berry company Polarica and its executives, according to state-owned news agency Yle. Prosecutors allege the firm’s former CEO, Jukka Kristo, and Thai business partner Kalyakorn “Durian” Phongphit lured dozens of Thai nationals to Finland in 2022 and forced them to pick wild berries under conditions that violated human dignity.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, while prosecutors are seeking at least five years in prison. The case is seen as a test for Finland’s berry industry, which relies heavily on migrant labor, and its outcome could reshape how foreign workers are recruited and treated in the sector.
