Published 17.28
Tons of cocaine must have been smuggled to Europe by Jonas Falk, according to the indictment.
Although the heaviest load has disappeared without a trace, as has the witness.
– He neither admits nor denies the deeds, says his lawyer Max Ahlgren.
The main suspect is not present in the security room in the Stockholm District Court.
For a couple of minutes, he is seen on a link from custody, with his legs crossed and a light green shirt in a bare white room.
The president of the court announces that he does not want to participate.
Jonas Falk nods, takes a thick fuse he has on a table in front of him and stands up.
The screen goes black.
– He neither admits nor denies the acts and believes that he is not getting a fair trial, says his lawyer Max Ahlgren.
Loads of pictures and chats
The smuggling of 2.5 tons of cocaine must have been planned and organized by Jonas Falk, according to the prosecutor. Four cases of particularly serious drug crimes are said to have been committed in 2020-2021 in international waters as well as in Spain, Suriname, Colombia, Costa Rica and Portugal.
The investigation is extensive and is partly based on conversations in the encrypted chat Sky ECC, which was cracked in 2021.
The prosecutor spends the entire first day showing excerpts from the chats.
Pictures of fat cocaine cakes, prices for purchases and transport distances are discussed in detail.
– It is a bit difficult to take a position on the material because I have not had full access, says lawyer Max Ahlgren.
The district court hunts for witnesses without success, how does that affect the situation?
– It is problematic. The prosecution wants to play audio and video files with a crucial witness. Then we were not allowed to ask questions during the investigation or the main hearing.
The ghost load of 1.65 tons of cocaine
That particular witness certifies that the largest quantity of narcotics in the prosecution exists. The cocaine is said to have been loaded off the coast of Suriname onto a ship and then transported across the Atlantic towards Spain.
The boat was stopped and boarded outside the territorial border of Spain. A total of 1,837 kilograms of cocaine was seized by Spanish police. Then the ship was abandoned because it started taking in water.
According to the investigation, there must have been two separate loads of cocaine on board, one of which amounted to 1,650 kilos. It is thus the ghost cargo that Jonas Falk is said to have been responsible for.
– Of course it’s better with fittings, but it’s on the other load. In the chats it is clear that there are two vices, says prosecutor Lars Lindman.
Isn’t it challenging that there is no physical evidence?
– No, there are many cases where people have been sentenced based on chat alone.
Jonas Falk was arrested outside his home in Spain in August 2024 on suspicion of being behind the extortion racket against Joachim Kuylenstierna, former CEO of the listed investment company Fastator.
He was extradited in October of the same year to Sweden and sentenced to prison for four years and ten months. But has remained in custody pending this trial.
– He has been in custody with restrictions for a long time now. It’s stressful not seeing your wife and children, says lawyer Ahlgren.
The prosecution: Four cases of particularly serious drug offences
1. CALA PEDRA (123 kilos of cocaine) Jonas Falk is accused of having bought and smuggled 123 kilos of cocaine in a container on the ship in autumn 2020 Cala Pedra from South America to Portugal. The drugs were packed in bags, but once in port almost all were stolen by unknown persons – only 20 kilos were left behind and seized by Portuguese police. The prosecutor claims that Falk coordinated the entire transport.
2. AUDI (300 kilos of cocaine) Between September 2020 and March 2021, Falk is said to have planned and paid for the production and purchase of 300 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia. To mark his ownership, he must have had the cocaine lot marked with his own stamp.
3. NEHIR (1,650 kilos of cocaine) During the winter of 2020–2021, Falk allegedly organized a massive smuggling of 1.65 tons of cocaine that was loaded on board the boat Nehir outside Suriname. Falk, via his contacts, is said to have controlled the loading and recruited reception boats in Spain. The smuggling was stopped when the Spanish coast guard boarded the vessel in international waters.
4. OPIUM MAR (494.7 kilos of cocaine) Falk is accused of having bought and paid for close to half a ton of cocaine in Colombia. He must have built his own sailboat, Opium Maravailable in the port of Cartagena where the narcotics were loaded in anticipation of departure for Europe. But on April 5, 2021, Colombian police swooped in, seizing the party and arresting three people at the scene.
