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COCAINE

Norway ski star admits drug problems after cocaine bust

Following a speeding offence which led to a house search that found cocaine, former Norwegian cross-country ski star Petter Northug, said on Friday he had a "serious problem" with alcohol and drugs.

Published: 22 August 2020 08:17 CEST
Norway ski star admits drug problems after cocaine bust
Petter Northug admits 'serious problems' at a press conference on Friday. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Scanpix / AFP
Police clocked Northug at 168 kilometres per hour (105mph) at the wheel of his Jaguar near Oslo on August 13.
   
Suspecting that he was driving under the influence – the tests have not yet been processed – police searched Northug's home and found the cocaine.   
 
“I have a serious problem with alcohol, drugs and medication in connection with, at times, big parties and there have been a lot of parties,” the 34-year-old told a press conference. 
 
   
Apologising “to all concerned”, he said he was “ready to accept the sentence”, after he is tried.
   
In 2014, Northug was jailed for 50 days, a sentence mostly served with an electronic bracelet, fined and banned from driving for five years, after crashing while driving under the influence.
   
On Friday, he said the alcohol and drug problems began after his retirement from sport in 2018. He said he has sought professional help.
   
Among the best cross-country skiers in history, Northug won four Olympic medals, all in 2010 and including two golds. He collected 13 World Championship golds between 2007 and 2015 and won three World Cup globes, including two as overall champion.

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DRUGS

How drug dealers in Germany are adapting to new corona reality

The chief of the German bureau of investigation (BKA) said drug dealers had learned new ways to sell their wares, stating that “we haven't noticed a shortage on the market".

Published: 9 September 2020 10:51 CEST
Updated: 9 September 2020 16:55 CEST
How drug dealers in Germany are adapting to new corona reality
Drug dealers adapted to the coronavirus crisis. Photo: DPA

Many industries have been hit hard in the coronavirus crisis. But it appears drug dealers adapted quickly during the lockdown, even while doing home office.

Move to online and delivery

Presenting his agency's annual report on drug criminality on Tuesday, BKA boss Holger Münch said that dealers had quickly adapted to the coronavirus by offering more service online.

Narcotics purchased via the internet and delivered by post – often to a packet shop – had increased during the pandemic.

Smuggling by air and sea continued at a constant level throughout the crisis in comparison with recent years, he said.

SEE ALSO: 10 things you should know about illegal drug use in Germany

'Cocaine not elite drug anymore'

Münch made the comments during the presentation of the annual drug report, which showed an increase in drug criminality for the ninth year in a row last year.

Criminality in connection with cocaine rose most sharply, increasing by 12 percent. “We've come to the conclusion that this isn’t an elite drug anymore,'' said Münch.

The largest quantity of cocaine ever seized in Germany was discovered by customs in July 2019 during a routine check in the port of Hamburg.

A container of soybeans, which was to be transported from Uruguay via Hamburg to Belgium, contained 4.5 tonnes of cocaine. The estimated street value was almost one billion euros.

Drug use increasing

Meanwhile, 31 illegal drug labs were busted nationwide in 2019, a 63 percent increase on 2018.

In total, the number of drug offences registered in 2019 rose by 2.6 percent compared to the previous year to 359,747. By far the most offences were related to cannabis. 

“Instead of wasting resources on prosecuting users, the federal and state governments should take targeted action against organized drug crime and the black market,” said FDP drug policy expert Wieland Schinnenburg. 

Schinnenburg proposed starting the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults, which would free up police resources to go after more serious crimes.

Münch said that he was not against conducting a debate on liberalization. But he cautioned that he had not seen evidence to suggest either that legalization leads to lower consumption or that it weakens the power of organized crime networks.

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