The case in summary Five men are accused of having organized the importation of around 800 kilos of hash into Norway between 2020 and 2022. The case was opened after the police received decrypted messages in the SkyEEC communication network. The drugs are said to have been stored in various places, including in Hardanger and Stavanger. One of the men is accused of having transferred 222.6 kilograms of hashish to two people in Denmark, who then transported it by sport plane to Tønsberg airport in 2022. There have been rumors that the airport at Bømoen in Voss is used for drug smuggling, but it is no documented cases. Customs confirms that there is drug smuggling to small airports in Norway, but few seizures are made due to a lack of resources. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Five men are charged with having organized a collaboration to introduce large quantities of drugs into Norway between 2020 and 2022. The men are said to have had different roles in the network. – Some are prosecuted for importation and some for being a receiving link here in Norway, says the prosecutor in the case, State Attorney Kristine Herrebrøden to news. The case unfolded after the police received decrypted messages in the SkyEEC communication network. This platform was shut down after an international police operation in 2021. These packages of drugs are some of what has been seized. Photo: The police It started with the police in France, the Netherlands and Belgium being able to gain access to servers for the communication service. The messages were decrypted and forwarded to the Norwegian police. So far, dozens of criminal cases have gone before the judiciary internationally. Often with several defendants in each case. On Monday, the trial against the Norwegian men started in Hordaland district court. Sky ECC Canadian service owned by the company Sky Global. The service was delivered on mobile phones and made it possible to communicate encrypted with SMS, audio and picture messages. The phone could only be used to communicate via Sky ECC, not for other purposes. All users were given their own ID consisting of six letters or numbers, and you could also create your own profile names. In the period 2019 to 2021, the service had approximately 170,000 users, and approximately 1,250 of these were in Norway. Sky ECC was shut down after an international police operation in March 2021. Moved up the supply chain Three of the men live in Western Norway. The drugs are said to have been stored in various places. Among other things in Hardanger and Stavanger. – In total, we are talking about around 800 kilos of hashish, which has been distributed among various indictments and periods, says Herrebrøden. Many packages of drugs have been seized during the investigation. These had the Nutella logo stuck on them. Photo: the police Andre had this gorilla glued on. Photo: The police The police found barrels of cannabis buried in Hålandsdalen in 2022 Photo: The police The police found many shopping bags in a car they stopped in February 2022. Photo: The police Several bags were found in the car. Photo: The police The police had to limit themselves during the investigation, and have not looked at the resale of smaller quantities. – We have chosen to focus backwards and upwards in the food chain, says Herrebrøden. Five weeks have been set aside for the trial. Police detectives followed when the cargo was handed over in Tønsberg. Photo: The police were actually going to Voss One of the men is accused of having transferred 222.6 kilograms of hashish to two people in Denmark. Who then transported it by sports plane to Tønsberg airport in 2022. The substance was handed over to one of the other men who are charged in the case. According to the itinerary, the plane was actually going to Voss. But changed course due to storms, according to Bergens Tidende. This case has created a flood of rumors at Voss. Many have been concerned about whether the airport at Bømoen is actually used for drug smuggling. State prosecutor Kristine Herrebrøden is the prosecutor in the drug case, which will be held in Hordaland district court for five weeks. Photo: Paul André Sommerfeldt / news Airport manager Iril Schau Johansen at Bømoen airport has previously told BA that she received messages this summer that it landed unregistered planes at night. There are no employees at the airport. Since there is also no video surveillance in the area, it is difficult to trace whether the flights have taken place. Mayor: Taking the concern seriously Mayor Tonje Såkvitne (Sp) in Voss herad confirms that the rumors began to abound when the drug case was going to the district court. And that it has created a lot of uncertainty. The mayor says that none of the so-called flights have been documented or reported to the police. – We have no dates or times to deal with. Nothing indicates that it has happened, she says to news. – We do not know where the rumors come from. But we take the concern seriously, and find it burdensome. It would have been bad if this had happened here, says Såkvitne. The mayor will therefore look into the possibility of setting up video surveillance at Bømoen. – Is it possible to land at the airport at night? – Yes, arrangements have been made for an emergency landing. And it is not possible to switch off, says Såkvitne. Mayor Tonje Såkvitne (Sp) in Voss herad will look into the possibility of setting up video surveillance at Bømoen. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Customs: There is no doubt that it is happening There are almost 80 small airports approved for international flights in Norway. Small aircraft from abroad can cross the border and use these. But then they must send a copy of the travel plan to Customs at the latest four hours before they arrive. Beyond this, there is little control at the small airports in the country. – We have random checks. The frequency is not high, but some customs checks are also carried out at deserted airports, says customs officer Gisle Hauge in the Swedish Customs Service. – Can the small airports be used for smuggling? – There is no doubt whatsoever that it is taking place. It is a mode that has been known since the Second World War, says Hauge to news. Even if the Customs Service knows it is happening, few seizures are made. – It is a question of resources, says Hauge. Careful investigation Police station chief Bjørn Inge Aarsand in Voss has not received reports about, or investigated, the alleged night flights. But he confirms that the police have carried out a careful investigation. – We have spoken to several of those who have spoken. We have been in regular dialogue with the airport manager and the municipality, says Aarsland. Afterwards, he is left with the fact that everything is based on rumors and theories. – Bømoen is a busy airport in summer, winter and autumn. At times there is activity there around the clock. There is no basis for believing anything other than that there is legal activity there, he says to news. He does not rule out that the airport could potentially be used for smuggling. In the same way on the E16, the sea or the terrain. – It is very good that the public reports, but it is not always as suspicious as it looks. Someone can fly at night, without it being criminal, says Hauge in the Customs Service. Police station chief Bjørn Inge Aarsand in Voss says that the police have carried out a careful investigation. They believe that the alleged flights at Bømoen are based on rumours. Photo: Gerd Johanne Braadland / news news has been in contact with the defenders of the 43-year-old man and the 46-year-old man. They do not want to answer questions ahead of the trial. news has not received a response from the 35-year-old’s defense attorney. Man (43) Alleged to have handed over 222.6 kilograms of hashish to two people in Denmark, who then transported the substance by sport plane to Tønsberg airport. On the same day, the drugs were handed over to the man (35), who is also a defendant in the case. He is also said to have handed over at least 94 kilograms of hashish to two other men who are accused in the case. He is accused of having stored 9.7 kilograms of hashish in a car in Kvinnherad on 4 November 2022. Man (35) Alleged to have introduced, stored or transferred a total of 537.5 kilograms of hashish. He is said to have contributed to the transfer of at least 230 kilos of hashish. This must have happened from 6 June 2020 to 14 February 2021 at various locations in Norway. Man (66) Must have jointly obtained and stored 94 kilograms of hashish in Hardanger and elsewhere in the country in the period from April 2022 to November 2022. He must also have stored and sold at least 6 kilograms of hashish. He pleads not guilty. Man (46) Alleged to have obtained, stored and/or handed over a total of 307.5 kilos of hashish. This must have happened between 6 June 2020 and 14 February 2021. He must have obtained and stored at least 94 kilograms of hash together and stored and sold at least 6 kilograms of hash. Male (67) Must have acquired, stored and/or transferred at least 230 kilograms of hashish in the period 6 June 2020 to 14 February 2021. Must have stored 5.4 kilograms of hashish. Pleads partially guilty, but disagrees with the quantity of drugs. Hello! Thank you very much for reading the matter! Thinking of something? Do you have something on your mind that I should write about? I would be very happy to receive an email. Published 27.10.2024, at 17.43
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Introduced 800 kilos of hashish into the country – news Vestland
