– Many young people in Tromsø have a perception that hashish is legal and harmless. This is what the police station chief in Tromsø, Anita Hermandsen, says. On Thursday, two teenagers from Tromsø were charged after a large drug seizure in Troms. The police are concerned that more people are being recruited to sell drugs. – It is basically vulnerable young people, who have challenges in different arenas, says Hermandsen. She points out that there has been a lot of discussion in the media about punishment for drug use and possession in recent times. – But what is important for the police to point out is that drugs have not been decriminalized. It is a criminal offense to use, and hashish is also a drug. Organized criminal network The seizure for which the young people are charged took place in Tromsø in May, and is said to have been 47 kilos of hashish. The police in Troms have made similar seizures before. In November 2021, 13 people were charged when they uncovered an extensive international drug network. In December 2020, eleven people were charged in a drug case that had branches from Oslo to Bodø and Harstad. But what stands out in the recent seizure is the age of those involved: 16 and 18 years. The police believe the drug comes from a criminal network in Malmö in Sweden. – We are concerned that young people in our region are connected to what we consider to be organized criminals, says police inspector Yngve Myrvoll. Two teenagers from Tromsø have been charged, after the police seized 47 kilos of hashish. Photo: The police Not surprised Leif Are Angelsen has worked for many years in Utekontakten in Tromsø. They are a voluntary low-threshold offer for all young people in Tromsø. He knows of several young people who have ended up in an intoxicated environment. – Most of the people we work with want to get out of the environment, but once they have gotten into it, it is very difficult to get out, says Angelsen. He points out that this is mainly about young people who have a lot of luggage, and that the drug environment is the answer to some of their problems. – They get belonging and friendship, says Angelsen. According to Angelsen, drugs are much more available in Tromsø now than they were a couple of years ago. He also points out that the drug reaches increasingly younger age groups. Several of these are already in a vulnerable situation. – These young people have had great burdens for a long time, and are an easy prey for criminal organizations. I am not at all surprised that they are used as longer, says Angelsen. Leif Are Angelsen in Utekontakten in Tromsø is not surprised that teenagers are recruiting to organized criminal networks. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news – Just driving on the drug reform was voted down by the Storting last year. But then the Supreme Court took the case into its own hands. Earlier this year, it was stated that drug addicts should not be prosecuted for having drugs for their own use. In recent years, several countries have either legalized or decriminalized cannabis. When the drug reform was being considered in Norway, there were several who were worried that young people would get the impression that drugs would become legal if the reform was adopted. Angelsen believes that the drug debate has contributed to some young people having a less tense relationship with drugs. – The discussion among young people is often more nuanced than among adults, he says. – This can quickly create an image of someone who is just driving. But that is not the case, and many will probably be surprised. Recently, a school class at an upper secondary school in Tromsø was sent home from what was to be an overnight trip under the auspices of the school. The reason was that some students had used illegal drugs. Geir Olsen, section leader for schools in Tromsø municipality, confirms this to news. – The municipality takes the incident very seriously, but is confident that the school in question will follow up both the incident and the students in a good way, he says.
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Many young people think hashish is legal and harmless, according to the police in Tromsø – news Troms and Finnmark
