The men, aged 28 to 69, face more than six years in prison for crimes under Norway's so-called "mafia section."
It is the largest case of its kind to date, says Chief Prosecutor Håvard Kampen.
Using, among other things, game cameras, the men are said to have tracked wolves and lynxes and conducted coordinated hunting in Eidskog near the Swedish border. Around the turn of the year 2024–2025, they shot at least two wolves and attempted to shoot at least one lynx. In the following days in January last year, police intervened and seized over 100 weapons.
All of the defendants - including a local politician - deny any wrongdoing. The trial began on Tuesday and is expected to be completed no earlier than June 16.
