– I have no comment on this, says lawyer Bjørge Usterod Tveito, who represents the Swedish man in his 30s. The Swede, together with three others, is accused of abducting a man in his 20s in Kristiansand on Sunday. The man was on his way home from training when he was taken into a car against his will. Several witnesses reported the incident to the police. The kidnapping triggered a large-scale police operation, in which several police helicopters were also involved. The four men were arrested shortly afterwards in what is said to have been a rental property on Sødal Terrasse. A home on Sødal Terrasse has been cordoned off following the incident. Photo: Anna R. Tørresen / news Convicted a number of times Two men from Sweden are among those charged in the case. Both have been convicted a number of times in the past, documents that news has seen show. The Swedes, who are both in their 30s, also have a link to the Swedish criminal network “Lejonen”, according to Swedish court documents news has read. The accused 31-year-old is connected to the network in a judgment from 2014. There he was sentenced to one year in prison for serious weapons offences, according to the judgment from Solna District Court. What is “The Lion”? Criminal network based in the Stockholm area in Sweden, according to Swedish newspapers such as Expressen and Aftonbladet. It is unknown whether the network is still active. Swedish media have mentioned the network a number of times from 2013 until 2022. “The Lion” has been mentioned in connection with several serious drug and violence cases. had been part of an armed conflict with other criminal gangs. They indicated that the man had previously been shot. The man denied in court that he was part of the network. Lawyer Lars Faye Ree, who is the man’s defender in the abduction case in Kristiansand, does not want to comment on the case. The four men were arrested at Sødal Terrasse, and have been remanded in custody for four weeks. Photo: Tipser “Springpojke” The accused 30-year-old from Sweden was sentenced the same year for a serious drug offense in an extensive drug case in which 35 people were charged. The man, who was then 19 years old, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison because of his young age. In the judgment, he is described as a “jump boy”, or running boy. In court, the prosecution claimed that several of the 35 defendants were part of the criminal network “Lejonen”. They believed, among other things, that the man had written “Lejon” followed by his name and postcode in a cell. He claimed in court that he did not know who had done this. At the time, the 30-year-old man admitted in court to having sold cocaine on several occasions, but denied having been part of a network. Violent youth The two Swedish men who have been charged with abducting a man in Kristiansand on Sunday have also been convicted of committing violence together earlier. They were convicted of assault, illegal coercion, aggravated theft and robbery already in 2010, according to a judgment from Solna District Court. The now 31-year-old man was then punished with 9 months of closed youth care. The 30-year-old man had to follow a youth contract and do 150 hours of youth service. The police helicopter hovered over Sødal Terrasse for several hours on Sunday. Photo: Kristin Olsen / news “Internal settlement” The police in Agder believe the abduction appears to be an internal settlement in a criminal environment. But the man in his 20s who was taken in a car against his will on Sunday believes they must have taken the wrong person. The police do not want to comment on possible links to “The Lion”. – The police are investigating the case to map out what has happened and who is involved. Due to the ongoing investigation, I cannot comment on this further, says Unn Hege Sørensen, head of the investigation section in Agder police district Published 08.08.2024, at 13.05
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Kidnapping suspect linked to Swedish criminal network – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
