A man in his 80s may have been living in inhumane conditions in a basement in Helsinki for decades, Finnish police said today, quoted by DPA.
Police found the man during a search of a detached house in the Finnish capital.
He was in poor physical condition and had no access to a toilet in the windowless room, nor the ability to wash himself or prepare food, police said.
Initial investigations revealed that the man had moved there several decades ago.
Police have arrested two men and a woman, all in their 60s and living in Helsinki. The suspects are not related to the elderly man, but have known him for a long time, the investigation leader, Jari Korkalainen, told Finnish Radio and Television.
It is currently being investigated whether the residents of the house where the elderly man was found were involved in human trafficking, exploiting the man and subjecting him to degrading living conditions, police said. The suspects may have been motivated by financial gain, they said.