Norwegian millionaire’s wife is kidnapped for ransom

The wife of one of Norway’s richest men has been kidnapped and her kidnappers have demanded a ransom, Norwegian police have revealed.

Chief investigator Tommy Broeske said that 68-year-old Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen has been missing since October 31st.

Her husband Tom Hagen, a property investor and owner of power facilities, is number 172 on a list of the country's 400 most wealthy people published in financial magazine Kapital.

His fortune in 2018 amounted to nearly 1.7 billion kroner (€170 million), according to Norwegian news agency NTB.

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Police said a note found in the couple's house, east of Oslo, described what would happen to her if the ransom was not paid in the cryptocurrency Monero.

Police did not give a figure for the ransom amount, but Norway’s VG newspaper reported it was €9 million.

The newspaper reported that the note said Ms Falkevik Hagen would be killed if police were involved.

Mr Broeske declined to comment on the note other than saying: “The threats [in the note] were of a very serious character.”

“The reason for us to go public with this case now is that despite a broad and extensive investigation, we need more information,” he told a news conference.

“We have no suspects in this case,” he said.

Mr Broeske said that “those behind [the kidnapping] have chosen to communicate digitally and we have had no other type of contact”.

Police have urged the family not to pay any ransom.

Ms Falkevik Hagen is thought to have been taken from the couple’s home, which is 50km from the Swedish border.

Mr Broeske said local police were working with Europol and Interpol on the case. – AP