Police had been looking for Valjakkala since the middle of November and told MTV3 that he was seen in the Kallio district of Helsinki on Saturday evening but the man managed to evade authorities until the next day.
On Sunday evening police spotted Valjakkala on Hämeentie in Helsinki and then caught him in an apartment building's attic.
Police say that Valjakkala had not been seen by authorities since November 18 after he did not return to the prison from an offsite course he received permission to attend.
Murderer's history of temporary release, escape
The now-50-year-old Valjakkala became one of Finland's most infamous criminals after he was convicted of a triple murder in Sweden in 1988.
Before he faced a court for the murders, Valjakkala was found to be mentally competent enough for trial, but a psychiatrist at the time said Valjakkala had a psychopathic personality and was aggressive.
Valjakkala received a life sentence for the killings and was later transferred to Finland to serve out his sentence.
During his incarceration and parole periods, Valjakkala has escaped - and attempted to escape - many times.
After having been imprisoned for 19 years Valjakkala became eligible to be released on parole in 2008 but violations of probation rules caused him to be sent back to prison on numerous occasions.
Valjakkala has spent the ensuing years in and out of prison for various crimes and escapes and became a staple for evening tabloid newspaper headlines.
He last escaped from a parole prison in Kerava two years ago.
