Prosecutors appeal acquittal of officer in cocaine-in-book case

Prosecutors are seeking to overturn a Copenhagen court's acquittal of a 34-year-old police officer, who was found not guilty in a case involving cocaine. The appeal will be heard at the Østre Landsret, Denmark's high court.

The case centers on traces of cocaine found in the officer's hair and 0.37 grams of cocaine discovered in a small plastic bag hidden within a book titled "Mafia: The Three Brothers" in his apartment. The officer, however, maintained that the cocaine did not belong to him. He suggested it could have belonged to his girlfriend or a visitor. He also argued that the traces in his hair might have resulted from his work, specifically handling confiscated drugs without proper protective equipment.

This case is an offshoot of a broader investigation that sent shockwaves through Danish police in late 2023. Initially, a group of Copenhagen officers were suspected of, among other things, stealing confiscated narcotics. While the State Prosecutor's Office in Copenhagen dropped that specific drug-theft aspect of the investigation in January, charges were still brought against four officers involved.

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There were traces of cocaine in the officer's hair. And in a small plastic bag hidden in a book in the apartment, there were 0.37 grams of cocaine.

Separately, the officer was acquitted in mid-May of failing to hand in a pistol. The court found no wrongdoing in his decision to wait until the following day to surrender the weapon, which he had received from a couple in his building. The State Prosecutor's Office has decided not to appeal this particular acquittal.

Another case involving police officers is scheduled for August. This third case concerns allegations that officers deliberately lied to the dispatch center and falsified police reports to conceal their involvement in an incident where an arrested suspect died. One officer in this case also faces charges of stealing four sleeping pills that had been confiscated. Both officers in this third case deny the charges.

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The cocaine traces in his hair could stem from the fact that in connection with his work, he had to handle confiscated drugs, and that it happened without protective equipment.