Putin on Finland’s criminal blacklist by ‘mistake’

HELSINKI (AP) — Vladimir Putin, banned in Finland?

Finnish police say the Russian president’s name was mistakenly placed on a secret criminal register that could have gotten him arrested at the border.

Finnish TV station MTV3 reported Wednesday that Putin was placed there for his contact with the Russian motorcycle gang Night Wolves, though he wasn’t suspected of a crime in Finland.

But National Police Board spokesman Robin Lardot told the AP the listing was a mistake and that Putin’s name was removed from the list. He says police were investigating how it got there. He declined further comment.

The content of the register is known only to a few top officials. Putin’s inclusion would be a major source of embarrassment in bilateral relations.