From Iceland — Watch Thief Accomplices Will Not Be Extradited

Watch Thief Accomplices Will Not Be Extradited

Published November 8, 2011

The remaining members of the crew who robbed upscale watch store Michelsen last month were apprehended in Poland, but will not be extradited to Iceland, due to Iceland’s own extradition laws.
Michelsen was robbed in broad daylight in mid-October by three men. A fourth man was arrested with the watches in his possession two weeks later. Police believe the men who pulled the heist left the merchandise with the fourth man, while they returned to Poland. The fourth man was to allegedly board the Norræna ferry back to Europe.
The good news is, the three men who executed the robbery were arrested in a small town in Poland last week. The bad news is, they were released from custody shortly thereafter, due to Iceland’s own extradition laws.
Unlike many European countries, Icelandic law refuses to extradite fugitives to any non-Scandinavian country. As a result, other European countries have followed suit; their laws do not require fugitives from Iceland apprehended in Europe to be extradited.
Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson believes changes should be made to Icelandic legislation to prevent such a thing from happening again. For the time being, the three men are free.

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