NOKAS robbery

On 5 April 2004, the NOKAS teller central in Stavanger was robbed. The outcome of the robbery was approximately NOK 57,4 million (approx. USD 9.3 million), making it the largest robbery in Norwegian history. It was also the first time in many years that a Norwegian police officer had been killed in the line of duty.

Timeline of events

During the robbery

Approx. 07.58 AM

The robbers try to enter the building through a window.

08.02 AM

The alarm goes off at the Stavanger police department.

08.06 AM

The first police patrol arrives at the scene, and is met by several heavily armed robbers. The police are heavily undermanned for a long while. Just prior to the robbery the robbers had blocked the garage exit at the Stavanger police department with a burning truck.

08.08 AM

The robbers enter the building.

08.15 AM

A police officer is taken hostage.

08.17 AM

The robbers escape with the money in a getaway car. While they were leaving, the robbers fired several shots with assault rifles, while the police officers were only carrying service pistols and revolvers. Shortly after, officer Arne Sigve Klungland was found dead in his police command vehicle, killed by a shot to the head in the earlier gunfight.

Trial and verdict

The thirteen men involved in the NOKAS robbery were convicted to a total of 181 years in prison on 10 March 2006, with the leader, David Toska, receiving the highest verdict of 21 years. In the final appeal on 19 January 2007, twelve of the thirteen charged were found guilty. The thirteenth, Thomas Thendrup, was acquitted by the jury. However, the acquittal was overturned by the three judges presiding over the case, causing a huge controversy and a following public debate on the current justice system in Norway.

On 29 June 2007, the Norwegian Supreme Court strengthened the sentences of the convicted, adding a total of 27 years in prison.

Another robber claiming innocence for the robbery, Ikmet Kodzadziku, maintain that he was in Stavanger in the relevant duration. But claims that he was closing a drug deal at that time. In the media, he stated that he "got the right sentence, but for the wrong crime."

The case is assumed to have cost 160 million NOK to the Norwegian society.

From 1994 to 2004 the Norwegian police fired approximately 79 shots; 48 of these were fired during the Nokas Robbery in 2004.