It was Romerikes Blad and Avisa Nordland who first mentioned the arrests. They were made in connection with a large seizure of weapons and ammunition by a man in his 30s from Bodø.
In the home, the police found 6 machine guns, 10 rifles, 5 pistols, 31 machine gun belts, 18 magazines, more than 8,000 sharp shots, several weapon parts in the form of unsealed pistol barrels and 5 charging arms for rifles, and several light grenades.
These are older weapons, some of them from the days of the war. But according to the ruling in Salten and Lofoten District Court, several of the weapons must be functional or not sealed.
The man is now in custody for four weeks with a ban on letters and visits.
The case that is now being rolled up will be linked to a network of people who have bought and sold illegal weapons. According to the police, the case can be linked to right-wing radical groups.
PST is also involved in the investigation, confirms Martin Bernsen in PST.
– PST has been aware of the arrests recently. We follow the investigations and have a collaboration with the police districts, Bernsen says to NRK.
The police have been working on the case for several weeks. In addition to the Bodø man, a man in his 30s from Lillestrøm and a man in his 20s from Hamar have been arrested. Both are charged with illegal possession of firearms.
They too are remanded in custody with a letter and visitation ban.
Found weapons collection
Police attorney Tore Finne Størmer in Nordland police district does not want to comment on how the police suspected the Bodø man.
But confirms that large quantities of weapons and ammunition were found during the arrest.
– The arrest gave the police further reason to investigate two other people in two other police districts. These two have now been arrested. During the search, weapons were also found with them, Størmer told NRK.
Salten and Lofoten District Court believe the man from Bodø has acted with gross negligence with regard to the weapons’ functionality.
Police attorney Tore Finne Størmer in Nordland police district.
Photo: Christer Aass
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The police have no idea what the weapons should be used for or how the people have gained access to so much weapons and ammunition.
– This is what we hope the investigation will reveal, Størmer says to NRK.
The man’s defender is lawyer Svein Inge Skipnes. So far, NRK has not succeeded in getting in touch with the lawyer.
The weapons will be examined by Kripos
The man in his 30s who was arrested in Lillestrøm has been remanded in custody for one week. However, the district court held that detention for four weeks would be a disproportionate intervention.
This man also does not have a firearms permit, and is therefore charged with violating the Firearms Act. According to the ruling in Romerike and Glåmdal District Court, several weapons were seized from the man.
As with the man in Bodø, there is doubt as to whether the seized weapons are functional. Some of them are older weapons that should be disabled.
Nevertheless, the district court believes that the man has acted with gross negligence with regard to the weapons’ operability.
The weapons seizure has now been sent to Kripos, where they will be examined. A clarification of the condition of the weapons will probably be clarified within the next week.
Part of a weapons network
According to the ruling, the man is connected to a network of people who have bought and sold illegal weapons, and who probably have branches to right-wing radical groups.
The district court assumes that the accused has had contact with several of the persons in this network. The court believes that the man, if he is released, will have the opportunity to influence any other accomplices.
– There is a real and concrete danger that the accused can delete electronic tracks if he gets access to the internet, the district court writes.
Weapons collector
The man’s defender, lawyer Ole-Kristian Ringnes informs NRK that his client has acknowledged the facts, but not criminal guilt.
– He collected old weapons, before a change in the law in October 2020. He is in possession of all these sealed weapons from the collection, which he himself describes as useless. He believes it is not a criminal offense to be in possession of them.
According to Ringnes, the client’s distances himself from right-wing extremism.
– He describes himself to this day as apolitical. He has been connected to the political environment a few years ago, as I understand it was the last time in 2017. That is, long before he has had any possession of any weapons.
– Part of a collector’s environment
Lawyer Sidsel Katralen has been appointed as defender for the man in his 20s from Hamar.
He is also charged with violating the Firearms Act, and is remanded in custody for two weeks, with a letter and visitation ban.
In its ruling, Buskerud District Court emphasizes the weapons seizures, and that these firearms are not permanently deactivated according to current rules, and can be relatively easily reactivated.
The man in his 20s has admitted to having stored weapons.
– The accused has been part of something he characterizes as a collector’s environment, where a number of weapons have circulated in the environment. It is important that the accused can not influence anyone in this environment until they have been questioned, the court writes.
NRK has been in contact with lawyer Katralen, who does not want to comment on the accusation, but refers to Nordland police district.
The penalty for violating the Firearms Act is six months.
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