Norway tightens border control due to perceived high risk

The Norwegian security agency PST has highlighted the fact that the perceived terrorist threat level has risen from moderate to high, the second-highest risk level on a five-tier scale.

Increase in random border checks due to fears of terrorism

Due to this, the Government is following an earlier decision by Germany to increase temporary random border checks on its land frontiers with Finland, Russia and Sweden until October 22.

Although Norway is not a member of the European Union, it has joined Schengen and therefore no border checks should in theory exist for those entering or exiting to Finland or Sweden

Added to the threat situation, there appears to have been evidence of recent attacks on Jewish or Israeli targets in neighbouring Scandinavia Countries.

Last week, there were shots fired at the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm then there was  an explosion at the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen, with Swedish authorities confirming a link a link between the two attacks.

Police will be armed at all times

The Norwegians take the possible threat of additional terrorist attacks on targeted sites very seriously and the normally unarmed Norwegian police have been instructed to carry firearms at all times during this period of high alert which is likely to last around four weeks.

No specific terrorist threat known

“We don’t have any specific information today about any concrete terror plans in Norway,” said Inga Bejer Engh, assistant chief of PST, at a press conference called on October 8 when news of the introduction of the special border activity was released.

According to NEWSinENGLISH.no, Benedicte Bjørnland, director of Norway’s state police, said “we will now have more visible and not so visible” measures in place around the country, including a greater presence of both uniformed and plain-clothed police and more police patrols around potential targets such as Embassies and places of worship.

The PST explained what the five levels of threat were and these are as follows;

5. Critical terrorist threat

PST considers that a terrorist attack is imminent or that a terrorist attack has been carried out and more attacks may occur.

4. High terrorist threat

The PST assesses that one or more people have concrete and realistic plans and are taking concrete steps to carry out terrorist attacks and/or that several conditions increase the terrorist threat.

3. Moderate terrorist threat

PST assesses that one or more people have an intention to carry out terrorist attacks, but without having taken concrete steps or have realistic plans and/or that some circumstances increase the terrorist threat.

2. Low terrorist threat

and/or that few conditions increase the terrorist threat.

1. No terrorist threat

PST assesses that no person has a desire to carry out terrorist attacks and there are no conditions that contribute to a terrorist threat.