66,860 silver coins were recovered incidentally when the police responded to a call about a van swerving from side to side on the E18 in Bærum in April of this year. Upon closer inspection the van was found to be laden with American silver coins. Another van searched was likewise found to be full of American silver coins. The 66,860 silver coins have a current total worth of at least NOK 25 million (over EUR 2 million).
The coins derive from aggravated investment frauds in the USA. Økokrim has assisted the US investigation of the case since 2018. In 2019, during a search at an address in Jongskollen, Bærum, Økokrim found and seized 79,500 American silver coins, worth about NOK 17 million at the time. Not all of the coins we were looking for were recovered in 2019; they remained missing until April of this year.
- We have long been on the hunt for the missing silver and have made enquiries both in Norway and abroad. I am extremely pleased that the silver has finally been recovered so that assets can be returned to defrauded investors, says Public Prosecutor Jon André Hvoslef-Eide.
Five people indicted for aggravated money laundering
Since April of this year, Økokrim has been investigating the case to determine what happened to the coins in the meanwhile. This has now resulted in the indictment of five people for aggravated laundering of the assets:
• A male, Norwegian national, for aggravated money laundering (organisation and storage)
• A male, Norwegian national, for aggravated money laundering (storage)
• A female, Norwegian national, for negligent aggravated money laundering (storage)
• A male, British national, for negligent aggravated money laundering (transport)
• A male, British national, for negligent aggravated money laundering (transport)
Five additional suspects were under investigation. The cases against them have been dropped.