Norwegian arrested for narcotics smuggling in Colombia risks trial without defence

Oslo District Court honour killing murder rape judgeOslo District Court . Photo: wikimedia.org

A 41-year-old Norwegian who was a drug mule in Colombia is in danger of being left without a defender. The reason is that he lacks money.

 

‘’It may lead to him not being represented by a lawyer, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs won’t pay for a lawyer. His family also has no money to pay for a lawyer. I am trying to find a solution where the district court (in Oslo, red.anm.) could pay for my trip,’’ said Norwegian lawyer, Kjell Myrland, to Dagbladet newspaper.

His client would plead not guilty in the case where he is one of 13 arrested. He believes the case is due to a misunderstanding. Myrland says that the Norwegian
was targeted for smuggling and production of 1,022 kg of cocaine and that he risks between eight and twenty years in prison.
‘’He hid the drugs in sailboats. Subsequently, the substance was transferred to speed-boats, and the goal was to send it to countries in Central America and the United States.The tourists did not know what was happening,” said Jorge Luis Vargas of the Colombian police after the arrest.

The Norwegian man moved to Colombia in 2016 after having been a drug kingpin in Norway.The police claim that he was “finance manager” for the drug network in
question because of his international contacts.

According to lawyer,Kjell Myrland, his client has not yet been questioned, despite the fact that it is over a month since the arrest in April.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today