Formerly known as Andreas Niklasson, Andreas Fogelberg has once again found himself on the wrong side of the law. Fogelberg, who was previously convicted in the massive drug case depicted in the SVT documentary “Operation Playa” in 2014, has now been sentenced to 15 years in prison. This time, his arrest took place in the summer of 2021 while he was on holiday in the port village of Nea Fokeo on the tourist-dense peninsula of Halkidiki in Greece.
Fogelberg, who was internationally wanted, had been arrested in his absence in Sweden for serious drug smuggling and money laundering offenses. However, instead of being extradited to Sweden, the trial has been handled in Greece, where Fogelberg currently resides and will serve his sentence. Interestingly, this is precisely what Fogelberg himself desired.
In an interview with Expressen last year, Fogelberg expressed his lack of faith in the Swedish legal system, stating, “After Playa, I have no confidence that I will get a fair trial in Sweden. During the alleged crime period, 90 percent of my time was in Greece. I can’t understand why I have to go to Sweden and prosecute.”
Fogelberg’s conviction stems from two cases of drug smuggling that occurred in the fall of 2020. In the first case, nearly 70 kilos of cocaine were supposed to be transported to a port in southern Sweden, but the retrieval failed, resulting in the drugs ending up in the water near Nyhamnsläge outside Höganäs. Two men and a woman were convicted in connection with this incident.
The second smuggling attempt involved almost 120 kilos of cocaine, which was successfully seized by the police in Stockholm. Several people were also convicted of possession in relation to this case. According to the Greek court, Andreas Fogelberg acted as the mastermind behind these smuggling operations, coordinating everything from Greece and other European countries he traveled to, such as Germany and Denmark. He allegedly utilized encrypted communication services, like Sky ECC and Encrochat, to aid in his endeavors. However, Fogelberg has consistently denied these accusations.
During his time awaiting the verdict, Fogelberg was detained in Athens and Thessaloniki. He spoke about the differences between the detention facilities in Greece and Sweden, highlighting the relatively run-down state of the Greek facility but expressing a preference for it over the Swedish system due to its perceived advantages in terms of freedom and communication.
Andreas Fogelberg’s Swedish lawyer, Johan Rainer, declined to comment on the verdict until he has had a chance to speak with his client.
As Andreas Fogelberg begins his 15-year prison sentence in Greece, the case serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle against drug smuggling and the complexities of international law enforcement cooperation.