The customs authority seized NOK 1.4 million in nappy packs – NRK Østfold – Local news, TV and radio

In March, a foreign-registered vehicle was stopped for inspection at Ørje customs office.

The driver admitted carrying a “significant amount” of cash, but denied having any additional money in the vehicle.

– During further investigations, two large packages of nappies were revealed, one package of which contained three vacuum-packed bundles of Norwegian banknotes, writes the Customs Agency in a press release.

In total, the customs officers found NOK 1.4 million. The suspect was arrested, and the case is now with the police for further investigation.

– The seizure is of an order of magnitude which may indicate that organized criminals are behind it, says customs director Øystein Børmer.

Don’t know where the money comes from

The foreign vehicle was stopped on its way out of Norway. The case is being investigated by the police in Indre Østfold.

– It is more and more common for cars to be checked on the way out of the country, says section leader for investigations Kay Lund-Pettersen to NRK.

– We know that a lot of money disappears in the form of cash out of Norway. It is not very often that we manage to take them, but in this case it went well.

The police say it is too early to say anything about where the money originated.

In addition to the person who has been arrested, one person has status as a suspect in the case.

– Big threat

The purpose of smuggling cash may be to use cash as payment for illegal goods, to launder money or to finance terrorism, according to the Norwegian Customs Authority.

They estimate that several billion kroner worth of cash is smuggled in Norway annually.

– These are enormous sums. Low risk of being caught and low penalties in combination with increasingly innovative ways of smuggling currency make this a big challenge, says Børmer.