Norwegian police have released new details about a suspected kidnapping case linked to a €9m (£7.8m, £11m) cryptocurrency ransom.
The disappearance of 68-year-old Anne-Elisabeth Hagen, the wife of a wealthy real estate investor and one of Norway's richest men, has baffled investigators for nearly three years. Investigators have been unable to unravel who is behind the shadowy plot, which involves cryptocurrencies, coded messages, the dark web, a multimillionaire and his missing wife.
Now, the head of the investigation has appealed for help from the public after revealing new details of the case in an interview with the Norwegian tabloid VG.
Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared without a trace from the small town of Lørenskog, Norway, in October 2018. A ransom letter demanding €9m in cryptocurrency was subsequently discovered at Hagen's house.
Anne-Elisabeth was the wife of Tom Hagen, one of Norway's richest men. He has been described in the press as a low-profile property and energy tycoon with an estimated net worth of 1.9bn kroner (£147m).
After initially suspecting kidnapping, police later changed their theory to a murder coverup.
Last year Tom Hagen and a man in his 30s were charged with murder in connection with the case. At the time of Tom Hagen's arrest in April 2020, police told the media they believed no abduction had taken place and there had never been a counter party seeking a ransom.
“In other words, the police believe that the case is characterised by a clear, planned deception,” a statement released at the time said.
According to VG, both of the men are still charged and deny any wrongdoing. Yahoo Finance UK has contacted Svein Holden, Tom Hagen's lawyer, for comment. He did not respond in time for publication.