The Director of the Icelandic Coast Guard says it is possible Iceland will return machine guns to Norway, if it turns out they were not “gifts” after all.
Vísir reports that top officials from the Capital Area Police and the Icelandic Coast Guard met with the Judicial Affairs and Education Committee this morning, to discuss amongst other things the cache of some 250 MP5 submachine guns which came from Norway.
Icelandic Coast Guard director Georg Lárusson told committee members that, as the guns are currently sitting in customs until it is proven they are gifts and not an arms purchase, it may be time to consider sending them back.
“When it came to light that there was some doubt as to whether [the guns] were a gift or a purchase, the Icelandic Coast Guard and toll authorities took the joint decision to put the guns to one side while the matter gets sorted,” he said. “If the sender has changed their minds [and the guns were meant to be paid for], then they won’t go any further. There are only two options: pay for them or send them back.”
However, it does not appear that Norwegian authorities have ever changed their opinion on the subject – as far as they are concerned, the weapons were always a purchase; not a gift. Dag Aamont, a spokesperson for the Norwegian army, insisted the guns were bought. Bent-Ivan Myhre, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, added that they were sending an invoice for their guns.
If purchased, the guns will cost the Icelandic state 11.5 million ISK.
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