The Tax Agency, the Customs Agency and several police districts have carried out actions against people who carry out itinerant construction activities. The police state that they have seized money and valuable luxury items from several addresses they have searched. – How large sums are we talking about? – We are talking about several million, but I do not want to go into more detail about the sum yet. This is according to section leader Terje Stubb-Olsen at the section for economics and environmental crime in the South-East police district. – Do not buy these services According to the police, these people engage in outreach activities, where they contact homeowners and offer handyman services. They are all charged under Section 338 of the Criminal Code, aggravated money laundering. The penalty is up to six years in prison. The police urge people not to buy services from craftsmen who turn up unannounced. – As a buyer of these services, you can be left with a large bill and have no guarantee for the work carried out, says Stubb-Olsen. Section leader Terje Stubb-Olsen at the section for economics and environmental crime in the South-Eastern police district says that the police have been working on the case throughout the summer. Photo: Håkon Lie / news The action was carried out as part of the a-crime center in Tønsberg’s efforts against this type of competition-distorting crime, which is considered to be particularly harmful to society. – Who are these four you have detained? – They are part of the people who organize this construction company, and they have employed several workers who they use in the various construction works they undertake. Stubb-Olsen adds that they present themselves as a company, and that the company is registered. The police have been working on the case throughout the summer. Stubb-Olsen does not ignore the fact that more people may be arrested, but that they will have to come back to that at a later date. According to Stubb-Olsen, the four people, who were detained on Thursday, have operated both in the South-East police district and the Agder police district. How many victims there are in the case is unknown, and something the police are now spending time mapping out. Does not plead guilty Lawyer Martin Smith is defending one of the four people charged in the case. Lawyer Martin Smith defends one of the accused in the case. Photo: Maria Kommandantvold / news – My client pleads not guilty to the charge. He believes it is not correct, says Smith. He does not want to go into more detail about what his client has said in questioning with the police. – Do you know if the man has been charged, prosecuted or sentenced for similar matters in the past? – I don’t want to comment on that. According to Smith, the man, who is in his late 20s, will come from the area around Oslo. Lawyer Johnny Veum, defends one of the other accused men in the case. – My client pleads not guilty. He also reacts to the fact that he has been remanded in custody, says Veum. Lawyer Jonny Veum defends one of the accused in the case. Photo: news Lawyer Karoline Grønvold does not want to comment on the case until she has spoken to her client. Lawyer Jan Erik Teigum says that his client, a man in his early 50s, pleads guilty. Beyond that, he has no comment.
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Four people have been remanded in custody for serious money laundering – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
