Iceland to deport three foreigners after traffic stop

Three foreign nationals have been detained after police stopped their car while travelling south on suspicion of speeding, and authorities have decided to deport them and ban their return to Iceland for seven years, mbl.is reports.

The car was stopped during routine traffic monitoring on Thursday evening by police in Northwest Iceland. The driver presented a driving licence, but the other occupants could not be identified at the scene because they said they did not have identification with them.

Further checks showed that the individuals had repeatedly come to the attention of police in recent weeks, including over residence permits and suspected thefts. They were arrested and the car was taken to the police station in Blönduós, where officers searched it and found a considerable quantity of suspected stolen goods, money, jewellery and other items.

At the police station, the three were informed of a decision by the Directorate of Immigration ordering their deportation and imposing a seven-year re-entry ban on Iceland.

The police chief in Northwest Iceland requested that the Northwest Iceland District Court remand them in custody until they could be transferred to their home country. The court approved the request and ordered that they be held for up to three weeks.

Landsréttur upheld the ruling on Tuesday, but reduced the detention period to two weeks.