Two “Swedes” detained for the embassy act

Published 3 October 2024 at 16.06

Foreign. Two teenagers from Sweden, 16 and 19 years old, have now been detained in Copenhagen on suspicion of involvement in two explosions near the Israeli embassy on the night of Wednesday. The duo are believed to have links to the Foxtrot criminal network.

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The explosions caused material damage to a nearby building, but no one was injured.

According to prosecutor Søren Harbo, the teenagers are suspected of illegal possession of weapons and of having set off two hand grenades on a roof. They are also said to have transported three more hand grenades with explosive charges.

The police are now investigating whether the act may constitute a terrorist crime. Harbo states that the two teenagers did not act alone, but it is still unclear who they collaborated with or if the acts are connected to gang crime. The investigation will focus on the motive behind the bombings and whether the Israeli embassy was the main target.

The two teenagers were arrested at Copenhagen Central Station as they tried to catch a train to Germany, shortly after the explosions. A third Swedish citizen, also aged 19, who was also arrested in connection with the incident, has been released and is no longer a suspect, according to the prosecutor.

The police in Copenhagen are investigating whether there are links between the explosions in Copenhagen and the shooting at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm the day before. According to information provided to SVT, both acts were carried out on behalf of the criminal network Foxtrot, a hypothesis that the police are also working with.

The incidents have provoked strong reactions in both Sweden and Denmark. Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard describes the situation to SVT as “extremely serious” and emphasizes the increased anti-Semitism and the deteriorating security situation since October 7. The Swedish government has begun close cooperation with the Danish government and the consequences of the explosions are being carefully investigated. At the same time, the police in Sweden have tightened the surveillance of important Jewish institutions and the Israeli embassy.