When the Northern Lights Turn Into Northern Crimes
The Oslo District Court has recently become the stage for a bizarre tale of a 19-year-old Venezuelan who may have taken the phrase “When in Norway” a bit too literally. You see, while most people associate Norway with breathtaking views and elusive auroras, our young friend here was apparently more interested in sparkling jewels than stars in the sky. Talk about a shift in priorities!
From Venezuela with… Intent?
As the trial unfolded, the accused made a claim that would leave even the most seasoned comedians scratching their heads. His excuse for embarking on a robbery spree? Simple. The allure of the northern lights! When asked about his and his friend’s trip to Norway, it was as if they were on a glorified holiday package. “Yes, we packed our bags to see the magical auroras, but somehow ended up with a duffel bag full of stolen jewelry instead!”
The ‘Friend’ That Never Was
In a classic twist, the defendant pointed the finger at a friend who apparently wielded the most potent weapon of all: blackmail. According to the accused, this friend claimed that if he didn’t participate in the armed robberies, he’d spill the beans about his sexuality back in Venezuela. Now, if that doesn’t scream “best friend goals,” I don’t know what does! There are people who will pressure you into joining a gym; this guy pressures you into armed robbery—*clearly* the fitness fad took a wrong turn somewhere!
Jewels and Juxtaposition
As luck—or misfortune, depending on how you see it—would have it, our 19-year-old was caught red-handed at Gardermoen Airport, not clutching a postcard of the northern lights, but rather sporting an impressive haul of jewelry stolen from two separate robberies. That’s right; what should have been a trip filled with picturesque landscapes turned into an update for “The Great Norwegian Heist.”
The Figures Speak for Themselves
Racking up a combined loot of over NOK 550,000 (that’s about a hefty sum for those of us outside Norway), our protagonist shamelessly reported that his ‘friend’ had vanished with the lion’s share of the treasure from the Bergen robbery. This ‘vanishing act’ sounds less like a disappearing magician and more like what happens when you ask someone to split the bill after a few too many drinks!
A Daring Defense
Confronted with the evidence, the young man has spun quite the tale. Rather than taking responsibility, he’s painting himself as the unwitting accomplice of a phantom friend. You could say he’s playing the “It wasn’t me” card with such finesse you’d think he was Shaggy himself. With only a few days left until the judgment is passed, one can only wonder if the law will see through this melodrama wrapped in an alibi.
Conclusion: Life Lessons in the Northern Lights
So, as we await the verdict in this rather peculiar case, let’s take a moment to reflect: if you’re planning a trip to Norway to witness the northern lights, remember to keep an eye on the company you keep. Who knows? You may end up with more than just stunning photographs and memories—you might also get a lesson in crime and punishment!
Stay tuned for more absolutely absurd realities that make you question if the world’s definitely gone mad or if it’s just the comedy show we all signed up for. Because honestly, if absurdity had a face, this story would be it!
OSLO DISTRICT COURT (Nettavisen): This is how he explains himself, a 19-year-old from Venezuela who is on trial in Oslo District Court for two armed robberies.
First one in Bergen
Saw one in Oslo.
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Pressed with gay rumours
It is not often that an armed robber claims that he himself has been pressured to commit a robbery, but in the criminal case that took place in the Oslo district court last week, nothing seems impossible.
At least if we are to believe the 19-year-old who stands accused of the two robberies in Bergen and Oslo.
When asked why he and a friend came all the way from Venezuela to Norway, the same explanation that quite a few foreigners give when they have to explain themselves as defendants in the Oslo District Court reads:
They wanted to see the northern lights.
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When asked why there was suddenly a robbery, and not the northern lights, the 19-year-old claims that it was his friend who suddenly pushed him.
If he did not take part in the robbery, the friend is said to have threatened that he would expose the 19-year-old as gay among his family and friends in Venezuela.
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Great values
The comrade has evaporated, but the 19-year-old was caught at Gardermoen. With jewelery from both a robbery in Bergen and from a robbery against the David-Andersen jeweler’s shop on Karl Johans gate in Oslo.
The 19-year-old claimed that his friend had already taken most of the jewelery from the robbery of the jeweler’s shop Van Bergen in Bergen, where the yield was close to NOK 350,000.
As for the robbery of the David-Andersen jeweler’s shop in Oslo, where the proceeds were just over NOK 200,000, the same 19-year-old was arrested in Gardermoen with the entire proceeds of the robbery on him.
This was Saturday 13 April this year. Just over six months later, the case against the 19-year-old comes before the court, without the police having found the alleged friend who is supposed to have pressured him into the robbery.
Judgment in the case against the 19-year-old from Venezuela can be expected within a few days.
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