Oslo police scaled back an investigation Thursday afternoon after responding to a report of a suspicious letter delivered to the Elden law firm. Authorities were alerted after a staff member reported feeling unwell upon handling the envelope, according to a statement from Oslo Police.
Police initially secured the area around the firm’s Oslo offices and dispatched emergency services, including fire and ambulance crews. “We are now packing up after a letter arrived at the office, one person felt unwell initially, but that discomfort has now subsided,” said police incident commander Arve Røtterud to VG, a Norwegian news outlet.
Investigators determined the letter posed no danger. “We have concluded that the contents of the letter are neither dangerous nor criminal,” Oslo Police stated. Røtterud added that the contents of the letter were unknown, but that it did not contain any white powder.
The Elden law firm, one of Norway’s largest, confirmed a security incident but deferred further comment to the police. “I can confirm that there has been a security incident at our firm, but beyond that, we refer you to the police,” said managing director Anders Brosveet to VG.
The firm is currently representing several high-profile clients, including Marius Borg Høiby in a legal case, and Terje Rød-Larsen, a former diplomat currently under investigation by Norway’s economic crime unit, Økokrim. Rød-Larsen’s wife, Mona Juul, is also being investigated by Økokrim.
Both John Christian Elden, the firm’s founder and a prominent defense attorney, and the firm itself have previously been the target of threats. In October of last year, a man was charged with reckless behavior and issued a restraining order barring him from contacting Elden employees. In 2005, a man received a five-year prison sentence for making threats against Elden.
