It was in July last year that Kripos started the investigation into an attempted murder on a Norwegian-registered sailboat in the Atlantic. There were two Norwegian citizens on board the boat, and during the investigation, discoveries were made which indicated that they were smuggling drugs with the boat, Kripos writes in a press release.
– It was then natural to set up a drug investigation, where we gradually saw the contours of a network with several Norwegian actors in central roles, who have smuggled cocaine from South America to Europe using sailboats, says police attorney Anja Perminow Stenersen in Kripos.
1.5 tons of cocaine
According to Kripos, several of the actors were staying in Spain. The Norwegian police therefore started a collaboration with the Spanish police, including through the use of Norwegian liaison personnel in Spain.
– There were several similarities with an ongoing investigation in Spain, where the Policia Nacional collaborated with the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Great Britain, says Stenersen.
She says that there were many indications that it was the same criminal network.
– The investigative collaboration led to the seizure of 1.5 tonnes of cocaine at Martinique at the end of 2023. At the same time, eight people were arrested by Spanish police in connection with this seizure, says Perminow Stenersen.
Six Norwegians extradited
After the cocaine seizure, the investigation into the network led to the police in a number of countries arresting a total of 52 people. Twelve of them are Norwegians who were arrested in Norway on the basis of an arrest warrant from the Spanish police. Of these, six have so far been handed over to Spain.
In addition, two Norwegian citizens have been arrested in Colombia and two in Spain. A former Norwegian citizen has also been arrested in Spain.
– The police believe there is reason to suspect the network of having smuggled very large quantities of drugs over time. Since this investigation is led by Spanish police, we cannot go into the details of the investigation at this time, says Perminow Stenersen.
«The Professor»
According to VG Spanish police have identified at least ten sailboats they believe have been used. According to the newspaper’s information, the Norwegians have been mechanics, captains and crew on several of the boats. Several have also been registered as owners of several sailboats, according to court documents from Spain.
– It is disturbing that Norwegian citizens have played such central roles in a criminal network of such a caliber. This case shows that the roads from South America to Norway are not that long, says investigation manager Elin Sylte Eikrem in Kripos to the newspaper.
According to Norwegian police, Spanish police believe that a Norwegian man in his 40s from Eastern Norway is the top leader of the cocaine boat league. Spanish police refer to him as “El Profesor” – “The Professor” – because in Spain he is said to have pretended to be a Norwegian teacher. The man does not understand the accusations, writes the newspaper.
A Kosovar Albanian man in his 40s, who previously lived in Norway and who twelve years ago was convicted in the Court of Appeal in a major drug case, is considered by the Spanish police to have a position high up in the hierarchy.
– Our investigation has shown that there are two people with connections to Norway who are central, who we believe are at the level of organizer and manager, says Eikrem.
In the hustle and bustle on the Solkysten
Spanish police wrote in a press release 19 July that “El Profesor” is believed to have been involved in drug trafficking for more than 20 years. They believe it is he who recruited the crew members on the sailboats.
According to Spanish police, one of the many detained Norwegians is a former bank and valuable transport robber who had already served many years in prison.
They believe “El Profesor” coordinated the production and transport of the drugs with Colombian and Mexican cartels. On Spain’s sunny coast, the members of the criminal organization lived with a high standard of living, thanks to the criminal activity, Spanish police state.
According to the police, the investigation has shown that the group used Valencia, Alicante, Almería, Málaga and the Canary Islands as logistics points before setting sail for South America. In Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia, the sailboats were maintained, and here they waited for orders from “El Profesor” and his right-hand man to load the drugs.
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2024-08-25 10:54:12
