Finland police investigate undersea gas pipeline leak as possible sabotage

HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish police say they have launched a criminal investigation into possible sabotage of an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia that was shut down over the weekend following a leak. Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, or NBI, says it has started gathering evidence at the location of the leak, which was detected Sunday on the Balticconector pipeline connecting the two NATO allies. A telecommunications cable was also damaged. The purpose of the probe is to establish whether the damage to the Balticconector pipeline resulted from sabotage or an accident. Finnish authorities have already ruled out an operational mishap, saying the damage was caused by “external activity.”