Police inspector Johnny Brenna said that police believe they have discovered a new link between the brutal raid on the Norwegian Cash Service (NOKAS) office in Stavanger, which resulted in the shooting death of a police officer, and the armed theft of two paintings by Edvard Munch.

On Monday Brenna told the Oslo court that one of the weapons used during the commando-style NOKAS robbery on April 5, 2004 and the pistol used in the Munch robbery, likely stem from the same break-in in Sarpsborg in January 2004.

A pistol seen in surveillance camera footage from the NOKAS buildingis considered to be key evidence. The police conclusion is so far based on witness testimony and other intelligence, there is no technical evidence to support the claim yet.

The weapons robbery in Sarpsborg took place just a few hundred meters from the home of the 38-year-old man accused of the Munch robbery. Thieves stole a weapons case, including four hand guns, while the homeowner was on holiday.