In the early hours of New Year’s Eve, an explosion occurred in an apartment building in Rågsved, southern Stockholm, leading to several calls to the police. Though it caused significant damage to the stairwell, no one was harmed. The authorities suspected an 18-year-old man of being responsible and, after apprehending him in Södertälje, later took him into custody on a charge of aiding and abetting destruction, having already been convicted of past crimes. A 39-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man have now also been arrested on the same charge, as they are thought to have assisted the primary suspect in the crime. While the woman has no history of violent crime but is from the Stockholm area, the man has previously been convicted of drug-related offenses and is registered in Linköping.
The explosion took place at the address of a well-known rap artist, who was found guilty in an extensive trial in 2021 of aiding and abetting the kidnapping of Nils “Einár” Grönberg, among other crimes, leading some investigators to believe he may have been the true target of the blast. Over 50 other acts of violence have taken place in the city since Christmas, with the police believing them all to be related to the ongoing conflicts between criminal networks in Stockholm. All the suspects involved deny any wrongdoing, and charges are expected to be filed in the coming months.
Early on the morning of New Year’s Eve, several people called the police after an explosion took place in an apartment building in Rågsved, southern Stockholm. The detonation caused great destruction in the stairwell but no one was injured.
The police quickly suspected that an 18-year-old man had carried out the deed. After being arrested while out and about, the man was arrested just under a week after the explosion. The 18-year-old who was also detained is from Södertälje and has previously been convicted of a number of crimes, including robbery and weapons offences.
Now have additional two people have been detained in the case, a 39-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man. Both are suspected of aiding and abetting public destruction.
– They are suspected of having assisted the already detained person in committing the crime, says District Attorney Lisa dos Santons.
The 39-year-old woman is from the Stockholm area and has not been convicted of any violent crime before. The 19-year-old is registered in Linköping and has previously been convicted of drug offences.
A famous rap artist is registered at the address where the explosion occurred. The artist was sentenced in 2021 to two and a half years in prison for aiding and abetting the kidnapping of Nils “Einár” Grönberg. The trial concerned several criminal cases and was one of the most extensive ever in a Swedish court. 26 people from the so-called Vårby network were sentenced to prison terms.
A theory that the investigators working with is that the 27-year-old rapper with connections to the Vårby network could be the target of the explosion.
– It is a theory that is of course known to us and we know that he has this connection to the address, says Lisa dos Santos.
The explosion in Rågsved is one of over 50 acts of violence that have occurred in Stockholm since Christmas and which are deemed to be linked to conflicts among criminal networks in the capital.
All suspects deny wrongdoing. According to the prosecutor, charges can be filed before the summer.
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