Norway strengthens fight against economic crime and tourism fraud

The Norwegian government and Økokrim are intensifying efforts to combat economic and environmental crime, with a specific focus on the tourism sector in Northern Norway. Following warnings that criminal networks are exploiting the regional tourism boom for money laundering, tax evasion, and illegal labor, authorities are implementing several new measures.

Key initiatives include the establishment of a dedicated Økokrim office within the Troms police district to provide specialized expertise in money laundering and profit seizure. The government also plans to introduce new investment control legislation to enhance oversight of regional investments for security and preparedness reasons. Additionally, funding has been allocated to the Brønnøysund Register Centre to create a transparency register identifying real company owners.

Økokrim reports a significant rise in fraud reports, with cases increasing by over 12 percent between 2023 and 2024. Authorities have noted challenges with foreign-organized services, such as northern lights tourism sold from countries like Brazil, Germany, and China, which bypass the Norwegian tax system. To address safety and security, a new expert group will assess risks related to winter roads and activity-based tourism.