The man is one of four people the police believe to be associated with the Swedish criminal Shottaz network, who have been charged in a Norwegian criminal case. A total of seven people the police believe are connected to the network are in the custody of the Norwegian police. The four young men charged with robbery, threats, theft and drug offences. Three of them are Swedish, and one of them is a Norwegian citizen. Several of them have previously been convicted for, among other things, money laundering and drug trafficking in Sweden. The defendant is the first of four to explain himself in court. He partially pleads guilty to having around 45 grams of hashish in his jacket, but denies the other charges. The man repeatedly denies belonging to the Shottaz network in Sweden. Since 2015, the Stockholm-based network has been involved in a bloody conflict that has cost at least 10 young lives. Several of the murders are unsolved. In a Swedish police report, these five were described as central to Shottaz. In autumn 2023, two of them were arrested in Norway. Photo: Swedish police Came to Norway because of the “threat of violence” In court, the reason the man is in Norway quickly becomes a topic. Prosecutor Johannes Hafsahl asks the defendant why he came to Oslo. He says he wanted new opportunities, and points out later in the interview that the wages are better in Norway than in Sweden. – Why didn’t you stay in Sweden, asks the prosecutor. – Våldsvågen. The photo should show one of the defendants with a weapon in a hotel room in the center of Oslo. Photo: the police – The wave of violence. Why does it concern you? – There have been far too many victims. Anyone can lose their life, the man replies, and answers in the affirmative when asked if he was afraid of losing his life in Sweden. – For the vast majority, it is safe to be in Sweden. What is the reason why you were afraid of life? What environment were you a part of there? – Stockholm is described as a war zone in news, Aftonbladet and Expressen. I don’t know how you can describe it as safe, the man replies. The wave of violence in Sweden has caused fear far beyond those involved. The Shottaz conflict originates in the Swedish suburb of Rinkeby, and Swedish police arrested 15 people in May who they believe may be linked to the conflict. In the investigative documents news has gained access to, it is stated that the local population avoids certain restaurants and shops or takes detours to public transport, for fear of meeting the men involved. The fear that the violence will come here has been raised by the police and politicians in Norway a number of times in recent years. Believes drugs were props In prosecutor Hafsahl’s opening presentation, it emerged that the police’s investigation into the men began when another Swedish man was observed in Oslo. The man was internationally wanted for attempted murder in Sweden. One of the accused together with a then wanted Swede in the Shottaz network in Oslo last summer. The wanted man was sent to Sweden after arrest, while four men have been charged in Norway. Photo: Instagram The police found pictures of quantities of hashish and marijuana on a phone they found on the defendant. However, the defendant explains that his understanding is that the drugs were fake, and were only props for a music video the defendants recorded in Oslo. Photo: The police The same applies to the cash that was found at addresses associated with the defendants, and on pictures on their phones. In one of the apartments searched in connection with the police investigation, a music video was recorded. In the final image of the video, several masked men are filmed at a vantage point at the Ekeberg restaurant in Oslo. The defendant confirms that he was in the music video, and that he has been part of other music videos in the past. Rap lyrics found on the defendant’s phone were also presented. He explained that it was a friend of his who had written the lyrics and sent them to him. Defense attorney Inam Ghous Ali says the defendant disagrees that he is part of a Swedish criminal network. – He was clear and clear that he is not part of such a network, and that it was not his intention when he came to Norway to engage in crime, says Ali to news. He believes it is problematic that the police said early in the investigation that they believe the case is about a criminal network, and that the investigation bears the mark of bias. One of the other defendants’ defenders, Daniel Storrvik, also says that the money and drugs the police seized during the arrests were props for the music video recorded in Oslo. Storrvik says his client promotes Swedish artists. – Drugs were obtained without the active substance THC, that is what he has had to do with. If these were real drugs, it is not something he has known or dealt with, Storrvik said during his introduction. Published 07.10.2024, at 16.38
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Was afraid of losing my life in Swedish wave of violence – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
