Tried To Smuggle NOK 2bn Out of Norway

A Lebanese citizen was arrested Monday on the Svinesund border between Norway and Sweden after an attempt to smuggle 2 million Norwegian kroner out of the country. The 59-year-old man says  he was sent to retrieve the money in Norway, and bring it to Sweden.

“The money was seized after a thorough check of the man’s vehicle. This is the largest currency seizure at Svinesund ever.”

Wenche Fredriksen

According to the Norwegian News Agency, Norsk Telegrambyrå (NTB), a Lebanese citizen, was stopped Monday night on his way out of Norway, with almost two million Norwegian kroner in cash.

The 59-year-old man was stopped by Swedish customs officials at Svinesund. He was on was on a trip from London back to Sweden where he lives, according to  Customs.

It was the Swedish customs officials who first discovered a carrier bag filled with money hidden under the man’s car seat on his way into Sweden, and then alerted their colleagues on the Norwegian side.

“A total of 1,994,500 Norwegian kroner was seized after a thorough check of the man’s vehicle. This is the largest currency seizure in Svinesund ever, ” says Office Manager Wenche Fredriksen at the Norwegian border control on Svinesund.

The 59-year-old admitted later that he was sent to retrieve the money in Norway, and was going to bring them to Sweden.

The customs officers notified the police, who then arrested the man.

Svinesund is the most used border between Norway and Sweden.

Monday’s currency seizure at Svinesund is the second largest ever in Norway.

The record seizures happened in July 2001, when Customs officers in Fredrikstad found  NOK 3,5 million.

Source: NTB

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