Helicopter suspect held on Caribbean island

A 30-year-old Swedish man suspected of having a role in the brazen helicopter-aided robbery of a Stockholm cash depot has been arrested in the Dominican Republic.

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On Wednesday, Swedish media reported the arrest overseas of a man with a ‘secret identity’ for whom an arrest warrant had been issued.

But prosecutor Leif Görts, who is leading efforts to bring charges against those responsible for the robbery of the G4S cash depot in Västberga south of Stockholm, refused to divulge any more details about the man or his arrest.

“He has been detained in another country and will now be repatriated here,” Görts told the TT news agency.

But Spanish media reported on Thursday that the man was a 30-year-old Swede who was arrested in a northern province of the Dominican Republic, along with another wanted Swede.

The arrests were carried out by the Dominican anti-drug and migration police.

According to the Spanish daily El Pais, both men will be repatriated to Sweden shortly.

The Södertörn District Court on Wednesday issued a remand order for the man under a secret identity. A remand order is a prerequisite for issuing an international arrest warrant.

The man is the eleventh person suspected of having a role in the spectacular heist who is not behind lock and key.

The robbery took place in the early hours of September 23rd. After first stealing a helicopter, the thieves then landed it on the roof of the cash depot, which they entered by smashing through a skylight.

A short time later, the robbers climbed back in the helicopter with an undisclosed amount of cash. The helicopter was later found abandoned near a wooded area north of Stockholm.

The other ten suspects, all between the ages of 23 and 38, were detained during the autumn and all but one is a Swedish citizen.

Some are been convicted of serious crimes, while others have never been found guilty of committing any offence.

The prosecutor said he hopes to be able to present a formal indictment at the start of the summer.

According to El Pais, the man suspected in the helicopter heist had previously been convicted of aggravated robbery for his involvement in the 2000 robbery of Sweden’s National Museum in which three expensive paintings were stolen.

Görts on Thursday refused to comment on the Spanish media reports, saying only that the man suspected in the helicopter robbery is expected to arrive in Sweden soon.

“Then we’ll hold another remand hearing straight away,” he told TT.