You've finally made it. If you are looking at the requirements for Friend from Norvinsk - Part 5, you have already endured the meat grinder of Factory and the shoreline snipers. Most players get stuck on the earlier iterations of this Peacekeeper questline, but Part 5 is where the difficulty spikes in a way that feels personal. It isn't just a "go here, do that" task. It’s a test of patience, gear, and luck.
Battlestate Games loves to make us suffer. Honestly, this specific task is one of those roadblocks that separates the casual Tarkov players from those who actually push for the Kappa container. You’re essentially acting as a high-stakes delivery driver in a war zone.
What Friend from Norvinsk - Part 5 Actually Asks of You
The premise is simple, yet brutal. Peacekeeper wants you to head to the Customs map. Your job? Find a specific set of documents and then—this is the part that kills most people—extract alive.
Specifically, you are looking for the Officer's Folder located in the customs office of the big red warehouse. If you’ve played Customs for more than ten minutes, you know "Big Red." It’s a death trap. It’s located on the far west side of the map, across the river from the primary loot spots, and it only has a few ways in or out.
You need the Tarcone Director's Office Key. Without it, you aren't doing anything. You can find this key in jackets or on the Flea Market, but by the time most players reach this quest, the price has usually stabilized. Still, don't forget to put it in your Secure Container. Losing that key because you got "head-eyes" by a Scav is a mistake you only make once.
Getting Into the Warehouse
The warehouse is a massive, hollowed-out structure. The office is up a flight of metal stairs that creak like a dying animal every time you step on them. Everyone on that side of the map can hear you climbing.
Once you’re at the top, you have to breach the door.
Wait.
Listen.
Don't just rush in.
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I’ve seen dozens of players get camped right at that doorway. You’re a sitting duck while you’re unlocking the door. If you hear someone inside, they likely spawned closer and are waiting for a free kill. Bring a flashbang. Better yet, bring a friend. This isn't the time for solo bravado unless you're confident in your point-fire.
The Reality of the Extraction
Finding the folder is the easy part. It’s usually on the desk or in one of the drawers. The real challenge of Friend from Norvinsk - Part 5 begins the moment that quest item hits your inventory.
Unlike standard loot, quest items go into a special "quest stash." If you die, it’s gone. You have to go back to Big Red, climb those noisy stairs, and do it all over again. The river crossing on Customs is notorious for being a funnel. You have the land bridges or the main bridge. Both are watched by players looking for easy Shooter Born in Heaven kills.
Kinda sucks, right?
The smartest play is often the "patient rat" approach. If you spawn near Big Red, grab the folder immediately and then hide. Sit in a bush. Check your Discord. Wait until the 15-minute mark. By then, the "Chads" have usually moved toward the Dorms or the Expansion area, and the extract campers are getting bored.
Why This Quest Matters for Your Progression
You might be wondering if it's even worth it. It is.
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Completing this unlocks some of the better Western ammunition and weapon parts through Peacekeeper. More importantly, it leads into the later stages of his questline which provide massive chunks of XP. If you want to hit Level 42 for those max-level traders, you cannot skip this.
Expert players usually try to stack this with other Customs tasks. If you have "Delivery from the Past" or "Operation Aquarius" still hanging around, try to do them in one go. But honestly, for Part 5, I recommend focusing solely on the folder. Your survival rate goes up exponentially when you aren't trying to visit four different locations in one raid.
Gear Choice for Friend from Norvinsk - Part 5
Don't go in naked. A "Pistol Run" is a gamble that usually ends in a trip back to the main menu.
- Armor: Class 4 is the minimum. A cheap ULEY or 6B23-1 will stop most Scav rounds.
- Weapon: Something with high ergonomics. You’ll be in tight corridors in that office. An MP5 or a short-barrelled 5.45 AK is perfect.
- Headset: This is non-negotiable. You need to hear the footsteps on the metal stairs before they hear you.
If you’re struggling with the combat aspect, try a night raid. Nighttime Customs is a completely different beast. It’s quieter, spookier, but often much safer for questing. Just watch out for the Cultists near the construction site—they don't show up on thermal and they will ruin your day faster than any PMC.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
The biggest mistake is the "Sunk Cost Fallacy." You get the folder, you're halfway to the extraction, and you see a geared player. You think, "I can take him."
No. You can't.
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In Friend from Norvinsk - Part 5, your only goal is green text in the bottom right corner of your screen. If you see a fight, run the other way. If you hear shots at RUAF Roadblock, head for Trailer Park or Crossroad. Use the outskirts of the map. The walls are your friends.
Also, check your extracts immediately. Depending on where you spawned, your exit might be across the entire map at ZB-1011. That is a long trek through high-traffic areas like Old Gas Station.
Final Tactical Checklist
- Verify the Tarcone Director's Office Key is in your Gamma/Alpha/SICC case.
- Check your hydration and energy. You don't want to start coughing while hiding in a bush near the river.
- Once the folder is in your inventory, don't loot anything else. Every second spent searching a crate is a second someone is lining up a shot on your head.
- Turn the folder into Peacekeeper immediately after the raid. Don't go back into another raid without handing it over, or you risk losing it if you forget.
The reward for this quest isn't just the roubles or the XP. It’s the relief. It’s the knowledge that you don't have to step foot in that warehouse office for a long, long time. Once you hand that folder to Peacekeeper, you’re one step closer to the end-game content that makes Tarkov so addicting.
Practical Next Steps
Before you load into Customs, double-check your quest log to ensure you haven't missed a sub-task. Purchase the Tarcone key from the Flea Market if you don't have it; it’s a mandatory investment. Set your server selection to a single, low-population server if you are truly struggling with PMC interference. Once the folder is secured, navigate via the train tracks on the north side of the map to avoid the "death zones" of the middle road and the construction area. Turn in the quest items to Peacekeeper via the "Tasks" tab in the trader menu to officially clear the requirement.