Every now and then, we do something incredibly embarrassing. I once missed a train because I was at the wrong station. On a separate occasion, I was so drunk that I got into bed with my mum. These things happen. However, a drug dealer from Denmark is more likely kicking himself than laughing at his foolishness following a moment of complete stupidity.
On 20 December, police stopped a man leaving Christiania - an area in the nation's capital Copenhagen. Also known as "Freetown Christiana", this semi-experimental section of the city is run by those who live there.
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/KobenhavnPoliti/status/943850978121539585]]
However, when one particular dealer was leaving Christiania after a day's work, he made a grave mistake. The following day, Copenhagen police explained all via Twitter. "Last night a cannabis dealer from Christiania who wanted to get home quickly got into a taxi. He received a big surprise when he realised it was actually a police car he was sitting in," they wrote.
In classic Danish style, they added: "The police officers were happy to see him since he was carrying around 1,000 joints." The man, presumably breaking Tony Montana's mantra of "don't get high on your own supply" was swiftly arrested.
Ridiculous though that may sound, the man had probably been lulled into a false sense of security by spending so much time in the "green light district". An autonomous anarchist district, police tend to turn a blind eye to the widespread sale of cannabis which happens there.
However, drug-dealing isn't the only crime which takes place. As Karsten Lauritzen, Member of Parliament for Danish party Venstre, explains: "It’s a question of principle, whether a group of people should be allowed to occupy a large part of government property in central Copenhagen. There’s no question that what they’ve been doing is illegal… they seized government property and have been living on it and that’s worth a lot of money now."
[[heroimage||http://cdn.junglecreations.com/wp/junglecms/2017/12/Wiki-Pudelek-min.jpg||Pusher Street in Freetown Christiana]]
Established almost half a century ago, it has clearly defined borders and even boasts its own flag. There are also rules for tourists, albeit only three: 1) Have fun 2) Don't run 3) No photos. The second is to prevent panic - as authorities could still technically raid the area at any moment. The second is, well, common sensical.
However, there have been a number of incidents which paint an uncertain future for Christiana. There were riots, a shooting and murder and even a grenade attack. Most recently, a man carrying what is thought to be a day's earnings from selling cannabis pulled a gun on police during a routine arrest.
Shooting two police officers and one civilian, the only casualty of the incident was the perpetrator himself - as he was shot and killed following a brief shootout. However, one of the officers was shot in the head and had life-changing injuries. The perpetrator was a 25-year-old Danish citizen of Bosnian descent who had links to Islamic extremism, though this is not thought to have played a part.
Following the incident, open selling has reduced dramatically and residents removed the stalls on the main street. Two months later, it was estimated that the sale of cannabis had dropped by 75 per cent. However, more traditional Danes - and those who believe Christiana is a drain on the state - have been rallying to shut it down completely.
As to whether the man's mistake is a sad story of misadventure or a hilarious example of unintelligence, that's up to you. However, unfortunately, he is another statistic - and another piece of proof - supporting the idea that Christiania, though self-contained, can't necessarily keep its dealings to itself.
