In the middle of the corona pandemic, two men drove into Norway over an unmanned border crossing in Østfold. Since there were strict entry restrictions at this time, the Customs took an interest. When they stopped the car in the center of Halden, there were 55 kits for growing mushrooms in the boot. – We had to find out what type of mushroom this was, and whether it contained a narcotic substance, says police chief Vidar Andersen. 55 cultivation kits were found in the car that was stopped in the center of Halden. Photo: The police Cultivating at the police station The police found the instructions that came with it, and started mushroom cultivation inside the police station. To ensure the quality of the result, the same cultivation job was also done at Kripos in Oslo. – None of them had enough previous experience with mushroom cultivation, says the judgment from Søndre Østfold district court. In total, the police seized more than 50 mushroom cultivation kits from the car that was stopped by the Customs in Halden in 2021. Photo: Police The police cultivated the mushrooms in boxes, dried them and then weighed how much they got out of each individual kit. The Halden police received an average yield of 41.55 grams per set. Kripos had to make do with around 27 grams, according to the verdict. – Kripos obtained slightly smaller quantities than what we did at Halden police station, so we probably have slightly more green fingers, says police chief Vidar Andersen. Police Superintendent Vidar Andersen. Photo: Odd skjerdal / news Illegal to obtain In the judgment it appears that the police cultivated the mushroom species psilocybe cubensis, also known as cubaflein mushroom. It contains active ingredients that can cause hallucinations, change perception of reality, change in feelings and sensory experiences. Fleinsopp is illegal in Norway, and is considered a narcotic drug. Both obtaining it, storing it and using it are prohibited. Although the mushroom is illegal, it is a relatively harmless drug. – Fleinsopp is not poisonous or addictive, but the intoxication can be very mentally demanding, writes Rusoplysningen. Dried Cuban mushroom pictured in a laboratory in Portland in the state of Oregon in the USA. Photo: Robyn Beck / AFP Several kilos of dried mushrooms The police believe the man who sat in the passenger seat of the car that was stopped in 2021 is the main man in the case. When the police searched his home in Follo, a room was discovered in which large-scale mushroom cultivation took place using the same equipment that was seized in Halden. From 2020 to November 2021, the court finds it proven that he cultivated or facilitated the cultivation of 3.3 kilograms of dried mushrooms. A normal user dose is estimated to be around 2 grams of dried mushrooms, according to specialist in clinical pharmacology Jan Toralf Fosen. If this estimate is used as a basis, the man must have produced more than 1,600 user doses. When the police searched the man’s home, they found a production room for growing mushrooms. Photo: Police Convicted of cultivation and sale The man has explained that he is part of an environment with a spiritual focus. He pleaded guilty to large parts of the indictment when he appeared in Søndre Østfold district court in October. Now he has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for growing and selling the illegal mushroom, and for keeping and selling LSD and ketamine. He has also been sentenced to confiscation of NOK 350,000. Several people involved The man who drove the car that was stopped in Halden had his case brought to court last summer. He was sentenced to prison for one year and confiscation of 55 mushroom cultivation kits. Another man, who shared a home with the main man, has been sentenced to community service for complicity in the mushroom cultivation. He admits to having known what went on in the cultivation room, but denies having participated in the production. news has been in contact with the defenders of the main man and the man who was recently convicted of complicity. They do not wish to comment on the case.
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Kripos and the police in Halden cultivated illegal mushrooms as evidence – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
