Police arrest 12 for illegal wolf hunting

The men were arrested on Tuesday afternoon, after police mounted a coordinated raid, seizing hunting rifles, computers and tablet devices as potential evidence. 

 

"The action is the result of an investigation through this winter," Tarjei Istad, from Økokrim told Norway's NRK channel.  He said that the officers had seized "a great number of weapons", some of which police suspected were unlicensed, as well as "computers, iPads and especially phones, which gives a lot of information in the current situation". 

 

Illegally killing wolves in Norway is usually punishable with a jail sentence. 

 

Between 40 and 56 wolves were registered in Norway during the winter, putting the animal at risk of being wiped out in the country within just a few years.

 

According to VG, illegal hunters have killed as many as 100 wolves over the last decade.