Four people were arrested in the Tyresö suburb south of Stockholm on Thursday, suspected of preparing a terrorist attack and for serious weapons offenses.
“It concerns a group of individuals within the violent Islamist extremist environment. We see connections to serious organized crime, as well as international links to the terrorist organization Islamic State,” said Fredrik Hultgren-Friberg, press spokesman for Swedish security services SÄPO. “What I can say is that we have been aware of these individuals for a longer period and have taken action against their plans to avert a threat,” he said, adding that further arrests are not out of the question.
Security services and police raided several different properties connected to the suspects, including a property owned by an Islamic association, according to daily Aftonbladet. After raiding the home of one of the four, police retrieved a significant number of automatic weapons, Expressen writes.
Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer confirmed to radio P4 Stockholm that the operation had been planned for a longer period of time, and that Thursday’s events are a reminder that Sweden faces a high terrorist threat.
“Through a connection to serious organized crime, terrorists and extremists can also gain access to weapons and other instruments of violence, and it is clear that it is crucial to systematically monitor this,” Strömmer said.
Security services are keeping details about the nature of the planned terror attack under wraps, as the arrests are part of an ongoing investigation.
