Guns On Their Way Back To Norway

Those guns the Icelandic police wanted were, at last, put on a plane back to Norway, which left early this morning.

RÚV reports that the 250 MP5 submachine guns were put on an Icelandair passenger plane, which flew from Keflavík to Gardemoen Airport in Norway, arriving at 7:20 in the morning. This was confirmed by Norwegian army spokesperson Sven H. Halvorsen.

As reported, the cache – which includes 250 MP5 submachine guns – were in holding with customs officials up until today, despite the Coast Guard having announced last November that they would send the guns out of the country “at the first convenient opportunity”.

When asked why the guns were still here, customs officials told Vísir at the time that they were expecting a plane from Norway to come to Iceland to pick up the weapons in mid-May. No such plane has arrived, therefore “we are looking for another way to move the weapons out of the country”.

The news comes in the wake of recent attempts to try again to arm up the police further. As reported, police initially said that last year’s cache of firearms was a “gift” from Norway, but Norway disagreed, contending the weapons were bought.

The revelation sparked criticism and opposition from the general public, culminating in the Icelandic Coast Guard announcing that they would return the guns.

Not that the police are completely undeterred where arming up is concerned: they are currently trying yet again – as they have been since at least 2010 – to get their hands on tasers.