Reindeer Owner Faked Predator Attacks in Lapland

A reindeer owner in Finnish Lapland faces fraud allegations for staging predator attacks. Authorities discovered 13 reported reindeer deaths were fabricated using imported animal parts. The attempted scam sought approximately €20,000 in compensation payments.

Police suspect a reindeer owner staged predator attacks in Finnish Lapland. The owner reported 13 reindeer killed by predators in May. Rural authorities found all damage reports were false during inspection. Each site was deliberately made to look like predator attacks. The reindeer remains actually consisted of loose hides and limbs brought from elsewhere. Investigators found no predator tracks at any location. Rural officials filed a criminal report with police. Police investigated the case as aggravated attempted fraud. The compensation value for 13 predator-killed reindeer would have been approximately €20,000. The Food Authority refused payment because reports were rejected after field inspection. The suspect denied the allegations during preliminary investigation. The case now moves to prosecutors for charging consideration. This appears to be a deliberate attempt to exploit Finland's wildlife compensation system for financial gain.