Drug Trafficking—Northern Europe

Months of cooperation between Norwegian, German, and Dutch police have resulted in the exposure of a Norwegian drug smuggling ring, as well as the arrests of 23 individuals.^[1] According to Oslo’s Deputy Police Chief, Hans Halvorsen, the ring “allegedly smuggled drugs from the Netherlands to Norway,” and international cooperation was the key to detecting it.^[2]

In Norway, 17 people were arrested and allegedly found with illegal drugs, while four people were arrested last week in Amsterdam and two were arrested in Germany “with a carload of illegal drugs, after German and Dutch police trailed them from Amsterdam.”^[3] Five of the six people arrested outside of Norway were Norwegian, and “Oslo police said they will seek extradition of all the Norwegians arrested abroad.”^[4]

Norway’s penalties for drug offenses are far less severe than America’s penalties; in the US, a person can potentially be sentenced to life in prison, while in Norway, the maximum penalty is 21 years of jail.^[5]

The Norwegian-Dutch-German cooperation is just one example of transnational cooperation in the enforcement of laws. For example, on March 30, Anne W. Patterson—the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs—testified before the House Committee on International Relations that the “international community … recognizes the links of the drug trade to money laundering, terrorist financing and organized crime and has been working together to confront the many challenges.”^[6] While the US “plays an important leadership role,” many countries elect to work together without US involvement: “Mexico and Colombia are staunch allies multilaterally as well as bilaterally. … El Salvador and Guatemala mount joint patrols along their border. … The countries of the Eastern Caribbean [collaborate] through the Regional Security System (RSS). The U.S., Mexico and Canada have launched the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), which seeks … to develop a North American security perimeter.”^[7]

In another example, we noted earlier this year that India and China had “agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation on issues relating to trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, precursor chemicals and drug abuse.”

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[1] Police Say International Effort Exposes Norwegian Drug Smuggling Ring, 23 Arrested, Associated Press, Apr. 5, 2006 (subscription only).
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Anne W. Patterson, Counternarcotics Strategy in Latin America, Dept. of State (via Scoop.nz) Mar. 30, 2006 (rel’d Apr. 5, 2006).
[7] Id.