Ten charged in Bergen after seizure of 15.5 kilos of heroin and 20 kilos of amphetamine
Ten men are charged in what police describe as a "particularly serious drug case" in Bergen. Police have seized 15.5 kilos of heroin, approximately 20 kilos of amphetamine and over 23,000 MDMA tablets.
Ten charged in Bergen after massive drug seizure
Ten men are charged following what police describe as a "particularly serious drug case" in Bergen, according to nrk.no. Police have seized 15.5 kilos of heroin, approximately 20 kilos of amphetamine and over 23,000 MDMA tablets, as well as cash and a firearm.
"That seizure is larger than what was taken collectively in Norway last year," says police prosecutor Øyvind Røyneberg regarding the heroin seizure alone. He emphasises that the threshold for "serious drug offence" for heroin is set at 15 grams – the seizure is therefore over 1,000 times this threshold.
Police believe a large criminal network with branches abroad is behind the case. All ten charged are accused of serious drug offence, which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years, with a minimum of three years.
Raid in March, new detention this week
In March, police conducted raids on several addresses in Bergen and arrested four men: two in their 20s, one in his 30s and one in his 40s. Three of them have been in custody since then, whilst one was released earlier. The detention orders have been subject to reporting restrictions, and police did not wish to comment on the case until now.
On Tuesday, the court upheld the police application to detain two of the men for a further four weeks – a man in his 20s and a man in his 30s.
The charged
Among the ten charged, the youngest is in their late teens and the oldest is in their 60s. Nine of them are Norwegian citizens with connections to the Bergen area; one has a different background.
"All are charged in the same case, and we will over time look at what roles they have had," says Røyneberg. He does not wish to go into detail regarding the individual charges or the charged individuals' responsibility for the offences.
Jørgen Riple, defence lawyer for the man in his 20s, states that his client has not yet been interviewed.
"We want to get a better overview of the case before we consider going to interview. Therefore we have advised our client not to do this," says Riple. He adds that the client has therefore also not taken a position on responsibility for the offences. The man is previously convicted to one year and seven months in prison for, among other things, drug-related crime and robbery.
Bertil Hast Rønnestad, defence lawyer for the man in his 30s, is brief.
"My client does not admit guilt. Beyond this I cannot comment on anything now," says Rønnestad.
Investigation continues
Police have investigated the case since 2025 and have kept the individuals under surveillance over time.
"This will be a big puzzle with many pieces. We are now working intensively to put all the pieces together," says Røyneberg.
Police emphasise that the investigation is still active and do not rule out further arrests or searches.