Finland accidentally blacklists Vladimir Putin over links to motorcyle gang

Vladimir Putin rides with the Night Wolves biker gang in the port of Novorossiysk in 2011 (AFP/Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin was briefly banned from entering Finland, it transpired, after the Russian President’s name was mistakenly placed on a criminal blacklist due to his ties to a motorcycle group.

Finnish TV reported that Mr Putin’s name was on the list, which could have seen him turned away at the border, because of his close ties to the Night Wolves, a group of Hell’s Angels-style bikers with whom the Russian President frequently meets. Three years ago, he even jumped on to a bike himself, part of the macho image that is projected of the Russian leader on state-controlled television.

A spokesman for the Finnish police confirmed that Mr Putin had been on the list, but insisted it was an error and that the President was immediately removed when the mistake was noticed.