How cocaine is flooding Norway

"At first glance, the surroundings of Oslo's port on a sunny September afternoon look like something out of a postcard. Some brave souls dive into the cold North Sea after a sauna session; others glide at high speed on water skis while dodging dozens of kayaks. The terraces next to the Edvard Munch Museum are full of diners and seafood."

"We are not prepared to deal with this, admits Karin Tandero Schaug, president of the Norwegian Customs union, alluding to what some local media have described as a cocaine tsunami. Tandero Schaug points to the Covid pandemic as the turning point: Between the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, we clearly saw an increase. Among young people, among the jet set, in various social settings, cocaine use was becoming normalized at parties."

Oslo's port projects a picturesque scene while organized crime exploits container traffic to smuggle increasing volumes of cocaine. Seizures rose sharply after the Covid period, culminating in 2.3 tons confiscated in one year, more than the previous decade. Swedish criminal gangs have expanded operations into Norway, using container shipments to move drugs. Customs officers report insufficient resources: limited scanners, shared equipment across ports, staffing shortages, and strained budgets after cutbacks. Cocaine use became more normalized among young and affluent social circles, and political action lagged despite warning signs, leaving customs overwhelmed.

Read at english.elpais.com