Eirik Jensen Went From Norway's Top Cop to Convicted Drug Trafficker. Was He Guilty or Framed?
Eirik Jensen was known for his effective, if unorthodox, policing methods. But in 2014, his world came crashing down when an informant revealed Jensen had assisted in a major drug smuggling operation
In 2014, Norway was rocked by a major police corruption scandal. That year, Oslo police superintendent Eirik Jensen was indicted on charges of narcotics trafficking and gross corruption. The fallout was shocking. Many Norwegians were familiar with Jensen and his effective, if not unconventional, style of policing.
Early Years
In an interview, Eirik’s sister described her brother as “A shy and introverted boy” while growing up. Characteristics that might seem at odds with his chosen career path. However, it could also explain his unconventional approach to policing, one that emphasized building rapport with criminals rather than simply enforcing the law.
In 1977, at age 20, Jensen joined the Norwegian police force. He quickly distinguished himself with his unorthodox methods and excelled in undercover work. During the 1980s, he was a member of a task force focused on busting drug traffickers, biker gangs, members of organized crime and curbing violence among youth gangs.
Jensen was so dedicated to his work that he even rode motorcycles and frequented biker bars during his free time in order to make connections and build relationships. He was renowned for his ability to build a rapport with those on the other side of the law.
Jensen made it a policy to never badmouth a criminal, rather, his polite and respectful demeanor worked well for him. He established acquaintances and informants and was known by many in Norway’s criminal underworld as a cop that you could talk to.
By approaching criminals with mutual respect and understanding, Jensen was able to create a network of informants and even convince some gang members to give up crime and straighten up their lives.
Unorthodox
Likely due to the successful results Jensen’s unorthodox methods yielded, he was given a long leash by his superiors. Similar to the legendary Frank Serpico, Jensen stood apart from his colleagues. Both men had a knack for wearing the clothing of the counterculture. In Serpico’s case, it was dressing like a hippie, and in Jensen’s case, it was looking like a biker.
Undoubtedly, this irritated some within the department. However, no one could argue with the results. Whereas many officers took a stance of “us against them,” Jensen seemed to have an understanding of the people he investigated and often hung around with them outside of work.
Regardless of what some both inside and outside the department may have felt about Jensen’s methods and techniques, he steadily rose through the ranks of the department, largely helped by his positive image amongst members of the media, which in turn put the department in a positive light.
After heading up a special task force to combat increasing gang violence during the mid-2000s, Jensen’s direct approach led some of these young men to leave gang life and attempt to earn a legitimate living.
Based upon his success, Jensen was eventually promoted to the position of superintendent. Norway’s top cop had finally made it to the top.
Conspiracy or Set Up?
In 2014, Eirik Jensen’s world was turned upside down when he was arrested and indicted on drug trafficking and corruption charges.
The charges stemmed from his association with one of his informants named Gjermund Cappelen. Cappelen had been an informant for Jensen since 1993 and was well known to police as a major trafficker of hashish.
For many years, the relationship seemed to be mutually beneficial. At one point, Cappelen had given Jensen information about some gangsters who were putting pressure on Cappelen to smuggle drugs for them. Jensen and the police used Cappelen’s information to set up and arrest the gang.
This gave Jensen a nice bust that he could parade in front of the media, and Cappelen had rid himself of rival drug dealers in the process.
However, when Cappelen was arrested in 2013, he dropped a bombshell. In an attempt to reduce his prison sentence, Cappelen revealed that for years, Eirik Jensen had helped him to traffic and smuggle drugs.
The news was utterly shocking. Though Jensen had a reputation for befriending and associating with criminals, he was now being accused of being directly involved in crime while at the same time serving as a high-ranking member of the police department.
Following the allegations, Jensen formally retired from the police force in 2016. He has consistently maintained his innocence.
Trial and Conviction
The trial that followed was a media spectacle, exposing a web of deceit and corruption. Encrypted phone calls, coded messages, and hefty financial transfers painted a damning picture.
Jensen vehemently denied the charges, claiming his relationship with Cappelen was solely about intelligence gathering. However, Cappelen's testimony, obtained through a promise of leniency, proved damaging.
The allegations were shocking. Prosecutors claimed that for over a decade, Jensen had facilitated Cappelen's illegal activities, receiving millions of kroner (hundreds of thousands of euros) in bribes while turning a blind eye to the smuggling of over 13 tons of hashish.
Prosecutors laid out example after example of police attempts to catch and arrest Cappelen for drug smuggling that were ultimately thwarted. It always seemed that Cappelen knew what the police were doing, and he always seemed to be one step ahead of them.
The implication of course being that Cappelen must have been tipped off by someone with direct knowledge of police investigations and activities.
The evidence did not look good for Jensen. Stored messages and communications between Jensen and Cappelen were damning. Jensen’s contact name was “Mr. Good.” Cappelen claimed that Jensen made sure that Cappelen’s smuggling routes were clear, and would tip him off about police activity that could potentially impact him.
Jensen also continued to send messages to Cappelen even after his arrest. Unaware that the smuggler was already in custody. It was also revealed that Jensen destroyed the phone he used to communicate with Cappelen after learning of his arrest.
It also didn’t help Jensen that during the trial, Cappelen came across as a reliable and forthcoming witness, while Jensen on the other hand, came across as guarded.
Conviction and Appeal
In 2017, Eirik Jensen was found guilty of drug trafficking and gross corruption charges by the Oslo District Court and sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum term allowed under Norwegian law.
He appealed the conviction and was then found guilty only on the corruption charges by a jury, which would have meant a 10-year prison term rather than 21 years.
However, in an unusual move, the appeal judges overruled the jury’s decision and found him “obviously guilty” of all charges.
Norway, a nation known for its low corruption rates, was left reeling. Public trust in law enforcement plummeted, and the man who had symbolized safety and security was now a convicted criminal.
In 2020, Jensen was found guilty on all charges by the appeals court and began serving his 21 year sentence at Kongsvinger Prison.
In 2022, Netflix released a docuseries about Jensen’s case titled “Mr. Good: Cop or Crook?” The series delves into Jensen’s possible innocence. Jensen, who was interviewed from prison for the series, has vigorously maintained his innocence.
Update
In 2023, Jensen was granted a temporary release from prison due to unspecified health reasons.
Sources:
Sur Roy, Sourya. “‘Mr. Good: Cop Or Crook?’ Ending, Explained: Who Is Eirik Jensen? Where Is He Now?” DMT, 5 June 2022, https://dmtalkies.com/mr-good-cop-or-crook-ending-explained-2022-netflix-docu-series/
Mehrotra, Kriti. “Eirik Jensen Now: Where is Norwegian Cop Today?” The Cinamaholic, 3 June 2022, https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-norwegian-cop-eirik-jensen-now/
Keller, Joel. “Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Mr. Good: Cop Or Crook?’ On Netflix, A Norwegian Docuseries About An Unorthodox But Successful Cop Who Was Busted For Drug Trafficking.” Decider, 3 June 2022, https://decider.com/2022/06/03/mr-good-cop-or-crook-netflix-review/
This is always an old question in these situations. Did anyone belive him enough to think he may have been set up from inside the Norwegian police force. I don't know...maybe jealousy or anything else along those lines.