Five men convicted of drugs and money laundering in Oslo – longest sentence 16 years
Oslo District Court sentenced five men to lengthy prison terms for drug offences and money laundering on 11 March. A Frenchman in his 40s received the longest sentence of 16 years and 3 months.
Five convicted in major drugs and money laundering case in Oslo
Oslo District Court delivered a verdict on 11 March against five men charged in a comprehensive drugs and money laundering case, reports vg.no. All were sentenced to long prison terms. The court described the group as an organised Norwegian-Moroccan criminal network in which the five held different roles.
The longest sentence was imposed on a Frenchman in his 40s: 16 years and 3 months imprisonment. According to the verdict, he was behind extensive drug operations and organised the laundering of large sums of money. He has four previous convictions. The court also sentenced him to the confiscation of approximately 6.8 million kroner in total.
The verdict against the Frenchman establishes that he was responsible for the storage and sale of over 140 kilos of hashish, nearly four kilos of cocaine and several kilos of MDMA.
Police raid on hotel room initiated the case
The investigation began two years ago when police raided a room at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Oslo in March 2024. In a red rolling suitcase they found 17.5 million kroner in cash. According to the court, the Frenchman who rented the room was a money courier for the network.
– Kripos believes it involves at least 70 million kroner, said police prosecutor Nora Pedersen at Kripos to vg.no in 2024.
The search of room 1213 was the beginning of the unravelling of the network. Police had already been monitoring several of the suspects for a longer period. The investigation was part of "Operation Hubris", a campaign Kripos has directed for several years against Norwegian-Moroccan networks that smuggle drugs into Norway.
The other sentences
A man in his 30s resident in Oslo was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for serious drug offences and money laundering. He was responsible, among other things, for the storage and sale of 37 kilos of hashish and one kilo of cocaine.
Three other men, all resident in Norway, were also convicted for their roles in the money laundering scheme. The court found evidence that the cash came from criminal acts, and that the handovers were agreed upon via encrypted communication platforms.
Defence lawyers signal appeal
Several of the defence lawyers reacted with surprise and disagreement to the verdicts. The defence lawyer for the man in his 30s resident in Oslo said to vg.no:
– It is a lengthy sentence. He is surprised at the outcome and fundamentally disagrees. We need to examine this carefully, we have not had the opportunity to do so yet.
Another defence lawyer went further in his criticism:
– We are fundamentally at odds with the district court's assessment of evidence on a whole series of points. The verdict contains errors – both legal and factual. The verdict will undoubtedly be appealed.
A third defence lawyer announced that the verdict would be partially appealed to the court of appeal, and pointed particularly to the question of whether the proceeds could be linked to drug possession:
– This relates to two matters. He is convicted of handling stolen goods, and this is partially admitted. The question at issue is whether this is proceeds stemming from drug possession. This has a dramatic impact on the length of the sentence.
Source: Google News NO — Oslo