The police estimate that the street value of the heroin is NOK 35 million. When such large values are stolen in criminal environments, the consequences can be serious. – In this case, there is concrete evidence that the theft has led to strong conflicts, violence and a case of torture in Albania, says Arvid Utby, head of the Section for Organized Crime in the Oslo Police District. They link the heroin lot to criminal networks from the Balkans. Tip led to seizure The section for organized crime took over the investigation after the police in Bærum, almost by chance, came across the record seizure. Arvid Utby is head of the section for organized crime in Oslo. Photo: Tom Balgaard In August 2021, they were tipped off that small quantities of drugs were stored in a detached house. When the patrol arrived at the house, the catch was completely different. First, 1.5 kg of heroin was found hidden in a speaker in the room of a young man in his 20s. The police then proceeded more thoroughly with the search. Hidden up in the raw attic, they found a further 33.5 kg of heroin. The heroin was packed in a bag that was partially hidden in the ceiling insulation. A total of 39 kilograms of heroin is said to have been stored in the Oslo apartment, but over the next few months those who stole it are said to have sold and delivered approx. 3.5 kilos of heroin. The weight of the heroin when the police found it in Bærum was 35 kilos. Photo: The police – This is a very large heroin seizure. In Norwegian history, this is the third largest seizure ever, says Utby to news. According to Utby, the drug has a value of NOK 35 million if it is sold as user doses on the street. The man in his 20s, who was connected to the home, was arrested. The police suspected that the house had functioned as a depot, and that the drugs were stored there on behalf of a man in his 30s. An extensive police investigation was launched to find out where the heroin came from. Through questioning, analysis and technical traces, the police found a link between the heroin in Bærum and a burglary in Oslo several months before. The police link the heroin lot to criminal networks from the Balkans. Photo: The police Burglary without a report On 21 November 2021, a concerned neighbor called the police. Someone had broken into the neighboring apartment on Tøyen in Oslo. The police moved out and secured photos of the damaged front door. But the man who lived in the apartment who had had uninvited guests was not at home. On the phone he said he would have the door repaired. – There was no information that anything had been stolen, says Utby. Later, he does not want to report the burglary. But something was stolen. The heroin that was later seized in Bærum. According to the police, the Oslo apartment was the original hiding place for the drugs. The police believe the heroin party may be linked to criminal networks in the Balkans. The tenant at Tøyen had himself moved in shortly before the burglary. At the same time, the police believe that the burglary was well planned. – The investigation has revealed that two of the defendants in the case were made aware that the drugs were in the apartment on Tøyen. An operation was carried out where one of the defendants took the person who looked after the drugs out, while another of the defendants carried out the burglary itself, says Arvid Utby. The heroin party has a street value of NOK 35 million, according to the police. Photo: Police Five defendants The stolen property was taken to the detached house in Bærum, where it lay until the police found it. The police have charged five people in the case with serious drug offences. Four of the five defendants are Norwegian citizens. The police believe the five played different roles in connection with the record seizure: One man was responsible for the original storage in Oslo One man was behind the theft One man stored the heroin in Bærum after the theft Two people are said to have planned the theft and the storage A 31-year-old man, who is accused of having stored the heroin at Tøyen, denies guilt. – He is completely dismissive of what he is accused of, says defender Trygve Staff. The man the police believe broke into the apartment and stole the drugs also denies criminal liability, defense attorney Jon Anders Hasle told news. The man has previously been convicted a number of times, including for robbery and drug possession. The police believe that a total of 39 kg of heroin was stolen from the Tøyen flat, but that some of the drug was sold before the police found out about it. May have been forced or threatened to store Lawyer Sverre Sjøvold defends one of the two police believe was responsible for the planning, further distribution of 3.5 kg of heroin and storage. Sjøvold says that the 36-year-old, who has previously been convicted of breaching the Weapons Act, denies criminal guilt. The other alleged client, a 31-year-old Iranian citizen living in Oslo, pleads guilty. – He has pleaded guilty and is prepared to explain himself fully in court, says defender Unni Fries. The man in his 20s, who lived where the heroin was eventually found, also pleads guilty, says defense attorney Øyvind Bratlien. The police believe he may have been forced or threatened to store the heroin at his home. The indictment carries a maximum penalty of 15 years. The trial against the defendants will be held in Oslo District Court in May.
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Stolen heroin worth 35 million found in an attic in Bærum – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
