Before joining SVU, Fin Tutuola worked in which NYPD division?

Before joining SVU, Fin Tutuola worked in the NYPD’s Narcotics Division.

Fin is introduced as a former undercover narcotics detective who transfers to Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit in the season-two premiere, “Wrong Is Right.” His narcotics background explains his comfort with informants, criminal networks, surveillance, and undercover identities. He regularly spent weeks or months working under assumed names before moving to SVU.

Fin did not transfer from Homicide, Internal Affairs, or the Major Case Squad. He left Narcotics after his partner, Luis Montero, was shot by a bullet intended for Fin. That event helped prompt his move into the specialized sex-crimes unit, where he was paired with John Munch after Monique Jeffries departed.

A common mix-up is confusing Fin’s previous assignment with SVU itself: he was not originally a sex-crimes detective. His narcotics experience remains an important part of his characterization, especially when cases involve drugs, dealers, or undercover work.