Alarm in Oulu, Finland, as police investigate several knife attacks on migrants and suspect the same perpetrator

Police in the Finnish city of Oulu have raised the alert level as they investigate a series of knife attacks targeting several migrants.

According to the authorities, there are suspicions that the same person may be behind some of these incidents, and the public has been asked to help identify him.

The latest incident was recorded on Friday, when a man riding a bicycle is suspected of approaching the victim and stabbing him from behind before fleeing the scene. Police have released security camera footage as well as a description of the suspect, who is believed to be between 20 and 35 years old. At the time of the attack, he was wearing a hat and a collared shirt.

Authorities say similarities have been found among the cases under investigation, but so far there is no confirmation that all of the attacks were carried out by the same perpetrator. The lead investigator on the case explained that only after the person responsible is identified will it be possible to prove the link between the incidents.

The investigation file includes several attacks that took place from May 2025 to June 2026. The first case was reported on May 26, 2025, in the Kaukovainio area, where a foreign man was stabbed by a person who then fled on a bicycle.

In April 2026, another attack was reported in the Raksilä area, where a man of foreign origin was injured by a person riding a bicycle. A suspect was arrested in that case, but he was later released after the court concluded that the evidence was insufficient.

During May and June, two other incidents were also recorded, including the attack on a foreign woman. As for the latest case, authorities have opened an investigation into the criminal offense of attempted murder.

Finnish police have called on anyone with information or anyone who may recognize the suspect from the released images to contact Oulu Police, as the investigation into these incidents continues.