Published 07.49
A Swedish man arrested in Colombia, suspected of extensive drug smuggling, is described as a high priority target for Swedish police.
Among other things, he is said to have coordinated cocaine deliveries to Europe and Dubai.
The Swede, who goes by the name “El Sueco”, was arrested on Friday in Cali in western Colombia, writes the daily newspaper El Tiempo.
He was wanted by Sweden via a red Interpol notice for serious drug smuggling – and the arrest must have taken place in a joint operation between Colombian police, Europol and Swedish police.
The Colombian authorities describe the Swede as a key figure in an extensive criminal network that smuggled narcotics illegally between different countries.
According to El Tiempo, his main task was to organize logistics and secure transport routes. Among other things, cocaine is said to have been smuggled in cosmetic products that were sent by plane and boat to various international destinations.
According to the newspaper, the investigation shows that the Swede may have had contacts with the criminal networks Mocro Maffia and the Balkan Cartel, which play an important role in the European drug trade.
The Colombian authorities see the arrest as an important success. According to Colombia’s police chief, William Oswaldo Rincon Zambrano, it is a direct blow to the criminal networks that coordinate cocaine shipments to Europe and the United Arab Emirates. In a post on X, he states that the Swede is one of the most wanted criminals in Sweden.
Swedish police have not commented on the arrest.
