Oslo police have charged 12 men, mostly from Albania, for last winter’s brazen break-in at a jewelry store that led to the biggest theft of gold and diamonds in the Norwegian capital’s history.
The thieves literally drilled through a concrete wall to get into the safe of the Gullborgen jewelry store in the basement of the family-owned enterprise downtown. The highly unusual theft was carried out during a weekend last February.
Police arrested seven men later in the spring, all believed part of an Albanian crime network, according to TV2. More arrests followed, with 10 of the 12 men now charged all coming from Albania.
Police think the gang is also behind several other break-ins around Norway. “We are in contact with Albanian police,” John Roger Lund of the Oslo Police District told TV2. “This is organized crime.”
The two other men charged are Norwegian, one of them a goldsmith and the other an expert on listening devices and alarm systems.
Police haven’t recovered the gold and diamonds stolen, valued at NOK 40 million (about USD 6 million). They expect to complete their investigation by September.
Views and News staff
