Sweden on Friday announced a string of charges against a suspected crime boss who allegedly gave orders from the Balkans to one of the country's most notorious gangs.
The 38-year-old man was extradited from Serbia where prosecutors believe he "directed the activity" of drug traffickers in Sweden. He faces a nine-day trial next month on more than a dozen drugs and weapons charges, which he denies.
Swedish media said the suspect was linked to a gang called Foxtrot, a key player in the country's feared underworld. Last year it was revealed Foxtrot was one of two rival gangs believed to have been recruited by Iran to carry out attacks on dissidents and Israeli interests in Europe.
Sweden has for years been fighting an epidemic of gangland violence in its major cities, shattering its reputation as a peaceful country. Swedish police have estimated there are 14,000 active gang criminals and another 48,000 people loosely affiliated with the outfits, which are known to have recruited children, although the number of shootings and explosions dropped last year.
The suspect arrested in Serbia is believed to have overseen a trade in "vast quantities of narcotics and weapons", according to an EU criminal justice agency, Eurojust, involved in his extradition to Sweden in December. It said some accomplices had already been convicted and others were under investigation.
Using phone records and messages, detectives have "put together a puzzle to conclude that it is this particular person who directed the activity", Swedish prosecutor Johanna Kolga said. She described the suspect as a "high-ranking leader" in the criminal network.
Homes were searched in Serbia and its Balkan neighbour Montenegro as part of the investigation, which Ms Kolga hailed as showing that "thanks to good international co-operation, we can get to criminals abroad". Turkey previously rejected a request from Sweden to extradite suspected Foxtrot boss Rawa Majid, a dual citizen also known as the Kurdish Fox.
The crime gang's activities are believed to have stretched from the major cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg to smaller Swedish towns, prosecutors say. Denmark has previously discovered dozens of cases of gangs hiring criminals from across the border in Sweden.
Swedish parties agreed last month that dual citizens who threaten national security could be stripped of their passports in a "fundamental change" to nationality law, but failed to agree on doing the same for gang members. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer warned that tackling gang violence was a "critical democratic issue".
Zayed Sustainability Prize
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
More on Quran memorisation:
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
