An Irish woman has been arrested at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport on suspicion of smuggling 41.7kg of cannabis valued at €834,000, the Irish Mirror can exclusively reveal.
The woman, in her 30s, was arrested by Norwegian police on Thursday, January 9, after arriving from a flight from Bangkok in Thailand. She was stopped by Customs Officers after an X-Ray examination of the suitcases showed irregularities.
The woman is alleged to have told authorities that the suitcases were given to her by someone in Thailand and she was unaware of the contents.
A spokesperson for Norwegian Customs told the Irish Mirror: “We can confirm that we seized 41.7kg marijuana at Oslo Airport on January 9. During an X-ray examination of a traveller’s luggage we discovered irregularities.
“When the luggage was opened, we found vacuum-packed marijuana with a total weight of 41.7kg. The traveller was handed over to police, who are now investigating the case further.”
In a statement to the Irish Mirror, a spokesperson for East Police District in Oslo confirmed the woman is Irish. “We can confirm that the woman arrested at Oslo Airport is from Ireland,” the statement said.
The woman has been detained by police for four weeks as investigations continue. Police are now investigating her possible ties to an international drug trafficking network, local media in Oslo report.
Norwegian drug laws impose harsh penalties, with up to 10 years or more in prison for smuggling linked to organised crime. The case has also sparked questions about security checks at Thailand’s airport, where cannabis exports remain illegal despite its domestic decriminalisation.
H/T: www.irishmirror.ie
