Two boys aged 13 and 14 have been arrested after seven people were threatened with a knife and robbed to the west of Oslo.
The police think they may have been more involved.
The police gave notice of the arrests on Twitter just before 22.00 on Thursday evening. They also suspect that more people could be behind the robberies.
‘’We have a named suspect and cannot exclude that more people will be arrested’’ said operations manager, Tore Grøttum to NTB at 01.30 on Friday night. The active search for several suspects has ended.
Young suspects
Because those arrested are under the criminal age, the police cannot formally question them.
‘’But the guardians have been contacted and we are now talking to the boys, with them’’ said Grøttum.
In addition, the child welfare service has been contacted.
‘’This is such a serious matter that we will cooperate with the child welfare services and other bodies to see what measures we can bring to it’’ said the operations manager.
The 13 and 14 year olds were both known to the police.
Seven robberies in a short time
Three episodes were first reported in a few minutes intervals.
In one of these episodes, the victim managed to get away without being robbed.
The police then reported more robberies.
‘’We have now come into contact with another four young people who had been robbed in the Vinderen area’’ said the police just before 21.30.
One of these youngsters was 14 years old, and two of the four had been stripped of airpod earplugs. These have a value of around NOK 1,800.
Didn’t immediately contact the police
They had not even contacted police patrols in the area, several of them, along with guardians. They did not dare contact the police just after the robberies due to fear of the perpetrators.
“They had been threatened verbally not to contact the police, and as we interpret it, they had told their parents gradually” said operation manager ,Vidar Pedersen to NTB news on Thursday evening.
Pedersen confirmed that the police have collected video images from the area, and from the metro from Majorstuen to Vinderen.
They have also spoken to the victims in addition to witnesses.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
