Sunnmøre District Court sentenced a man in his 20s to two years in prison for his role in storing cannabis found in a vehicle and on a rural farm property in Gjerdsvika.[1] In October 2026, Sør-Rogaland District Court had already sentenced a co-defendant in his 30s to one year and 11 months in prison in the same case after he admitted criminal liability.[2] Both convicted men appealed their sentences.[1]
The two men were arrested in Volda in June 2026 after police intercepted their car and uncovered ten vacuum-packed packages containing 4.8 kilograms of hashish hidden inside a bag.[1] During a coordinated search of a farm property in Gjerdsvika in Sande municipality, officers found traces of cannabis production across a dwelling house, a barn, and a garage.[3] Police seized approximately 5.5 kilograms of marijuana from the property along with hashish plants and cultivation equipment, bringing the total cannabis seizure to more than 10 kilograms.[1] Local newspaper Vestlandsnytt confirmed that the cannabis plantation had been uncovered during the June operation.[4]
The investigation began in February 2026 when police stopped the men during a routine speed check and noted that neither possessed a Norwegian national identity number, registered employment, or a registered residential address.[1] Subsequent telecommunications tracking and toll station records revealed repeated journeys between Søre Sunnmøre, Lillestrøm, and Nordmøre, prompting police to establish covert camera surveillance at the farm.[1] Although the younger man denied criminal guilt and no matching DNA linked him to the seized drugs, the court concluded that he had aided the operation, noting his travel to Norway had been booked by the farm owner.[1]
