Prosecution seeks six years in cocaine smuggling case against Pétur Jökull Jónasson in Reykjavik

The prosecution in Reykjavik’s District Court is seeking a prison sentence of no less than six years for Pétur Jökull Jónasson in a prominent cocaine smuggling case. This request aligns with previous sentences handed down in the same matter.

A brief pause in the hearing occurred this morning when Pétur Jökull’s lawyer presented documents indicating additional flights from Frankfurt to Bangkok on the day of the defendant’s travel. This included details not only of his flight to Frankfurt but also his return journey to Iceland. These findings were generated using the AI chatbot ChatGPT, leading the prosecutor to question why they had not been submitted earlier but not contesting their validity.

The defense also provided documents outlining the general terms of use for the messaging app Signal and its operational details. The prosecutor raised inquiries regarding the reliability of these new documents, emphasizing that previous flights from Frankfurt to Bangkok had not been investigated by police, apart from the flight involving Pétur Jökull.

The defendant’s lawyer pointed out that links to the sources used for verification had been shared with the judges. However, the judge noted that such information should ideally be submitted with greater advance notice, underscoring a need for clarity regarding the reliability of the evidence presented.

The prosecution maintains that Pétur Jökull played a more significant role in the smuggling operation than Birgir Halldórsson, who previously received a six-and-a-half-year sentence for his involvement in the same case.