The police authorities in northern Norway, for the third time in a week, have arrested four Russian nationals for taking photos in areas where photography is restricted.
While the police have refused to give any further information, they did not confirm that the detention took place “at a location in Nordland”, a nation in the northern region of Norway that is home to several army installations, petroleum and industrial production sites, and is also home to some of the country’s largest hydroelectric power plants.
Considerable amounts of camera gear and a large number of photos were recovered.
On Friday, a district court remanded the four suspects in custody while the probe continued.
According to a police statement, the four suspects drove to Norway from Finland. During interrogation, the Russians said that they were tourists.
Last week, police in Kirkenes detained a 50-year-old Russian after a routine stop at the Russian border during which police found two drones in his luggage. The man, who was attempting to exit the country, had hours of film taken at locations across Norway in his possession.
On Friday, a 51-year-old Russian national on his way to Svalbard was detained at Tromsø airport for photographing sensitive objects. The police found additional photos of the airport in Kirkenes, including a military helicopter.
The Russian Embassy in Oslo on Friday issued a warning to Russian tourists visiting Norway not to bring expensive photo and video equipment with them, as well as to avoid taking photos of potentially sensitive sites in the country.