Large-scale marijuana production in an almost uninhabitable house has been discovered by police outside the small Norweigan city of Elverum.
The operation had been succeeding in regularly producing several kilos, until the police were tipped off and they raided the Sørskogbygda house in October.
Four Polish citizens have been arrested are now required to appear in court. They were charged with the production and possession of large amounts of drugs.
Police found and seized around 27 kilos worth of cannabis from the house. The drug was prepared and packaged, ready to be sold. The ultimate street value is estimated to be over 3 million krowns, or 300 thousand dollars. Police also found 316 cannabis plants that would produce another 12 kilos, or an additional 100,000 dollars worth.
The operation would lead to the police suspecting involvement in a larger underground drug trade.
Another Polish citizen was arrested in connection to the Sørskogbygda cannabis operation. Henning Klauseie, the police inspector in the Innlandet police district, said that the man had sold his house in Elverum to one other defendant in the case.
A Polish citizen was also stopped as he was heading into Norway carrying what police believed was fertilizer for cannabis plants.
One of the defendants has also been accused of running a cannabis plantation at Aurskog–Holand. 49 cannabis plants were discovered at the site during a search.
The accused had connected the building to the mains
The police located a Polish citizen at the address outside Elverum. He is believed to have been hired to work as a gardener on this plantation.
The house didn’t have enough electricity to support the energy-intensive production. Therefore, the defendants must have been connected stealthily to mains electricity.
According to the prosecutor, the defendants are required to pay almost NOK 229,000 in compensation to Elvia.
In the Inland, Police have discovered a great number of cannabis plantations in recent years. This is an older, less desirable building mass that is not suitable for residential use. Henning Klauseie, a police inspector, explains that this is a very typical type of property to be used for growing cannabis. He says it’s not uncommon for them to find cannabis plants in houses similar to the one found outside Elverum.
Norway has seen an increase in the value of drugs
Two of the two accused have refused to answer questions both in prison and to police. Klauseie states that the two other men have made their explanations and accepted partial criminal guilt for the charges against them.
The police believe the drug would be sold in Norway. Norway has long had one of the strictest stances on illegal drugs in Europe, and only recently has this begun to change. Although as of recently medicinal cannabis is permitted in Norway, it is still very difficult to get it through legal means. Recreational use still remains illegal and enforced.
As the country has closed borders and tighter control, there is a high risk of such products being produced in Norway and then transported out of the country. Kluaseie says that this was made for sale in Norway.
Police believe that drug street value has increased in the wake of the corona pandemic. This is due to tighter borders and more control. It has become even more difficult to smuggle drugs into the country. The limited supply has increased the prices. Some also believe that the demand may have also increased. Either as people are spending so much time at home or are experiencing greater levels of stress.