Sweden's "Godfather" arrested in Greece
Sweden's so-called Godfather, Milan Sevo, has been arrested on the border of Greece and Macedonia after nine months on the run.
Sevo never showed up to a low-security prison in a Stockholm suburb after a permitted "free" weekend last summer. He had been serving a sentence for possession of illegal weapons.
"He has been arrested at the border," confirmed national police commander Anders Frantzén.
According to the Swedish media, Sevo has a long criminal history but not many convictions. He has been identified by police as one of the leaders in the Stockholm "gangster war" which made martyrs of many a dark character. Sevo himself is said to have survived many murder attempts, one of which took the life of his father-in-law instead.
He faced charges of murder after a Stockholm shootout but was found not guilty. He was also charged with drug crimes and smuggling, and the verdict was the same. Prosecutors finally managed to get a weapons charge to stick when police ransacked his Stockholm apartment and found a cache of automatic weapons.
He told the court he needed the arms to protect himself.
Sevo had just two months left to serve of a two-year sentence. While he was missing, he apparently contacted a reporter for Aftonbladet and explained: "When my children, family and I have rested a while I'll come back to Sweden to finish serving my sentence."
As to what happens now, the tabloids are speculating wildly. Expressen spoke to Christer Isaksson, head of security for the criminal reform system.
"We'll interview him and find out what happened and why. Then a decision will be made as to the consequences of his not reporting back to the jail," said Isaksson.
Prosecutors may be eager to add time to that sentence now, however. Sevo had beaten an old case of weapons possession in 2003 but that case is now heading to the Appeal Court.
In addition, Stockholm detectives are investing a lot of time trying to solve the murder of Sevo's father-in-law, They do not, however, believe that Sevo will be much help.
"He probably knows a lot but I don't think he'll add much to our investigation," said criminal inspector Mikael Schönhof.
Sevo has been taken to northern Greece pending extradition to Sweden.
Sources: Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, Aftonbladet
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Sevo never showed up to a low-security prison in a Stockholm suburb after a permitted "free" weekend last summer. He had been serving a sentence for possession of illegal weapons.
"He has been arrested at the border," confirmed national police commander Anders Frantzén.
According to the Swedish media, Sevo has a long criminal history but not many convictions. He has been identified by police as one of the leaders in the Stockholm "gangster war" which made martyrs of many a dark character. Sevo himself is said to have survived many murder attempts, one of which took the life of his father-in-law instead.
He faced charges of murder after a Stockholm shootout but was found not guilty. He was also charged with drug crimes and smuggling, and the verdict was the same. Prosecutors finally managed to get a weapons charge to stick when police ransacked his Stockholm apartment and found a cache of automatic weapons.
He told the court he needed the arms to protect himself.
Sevo had just two months left to serve of a two-year sentence. While he was missing, he apparently contacted a reporter for Aftonbladet and explained: "When my children, family and I have rested a while I'll come back to Sweden to finish serving my sentence."
As to what happens now, the tabloids are speculating wildly. Expressen spoke to Christer Isaksson, head of security for the criminal reform system.
"We'll interview him and find out what happened and why. Then a decision will be made as to the consequences of his not reporting back to the jail," said Isaksson.
Prosecutors may be eager to add time to that sentence now, however. Sevo had beaten an old case of weapons possession in 2003 but that case is now heading to the Appeal Court.
In addition, Stockholm detectives are investing a lot of time trying to solve the murder of Sevo's father-in-law, They do not, however, believe that Sevo will be much help.
"He probably knows a lot but I don't think he'll add much to our investigation," said criminal inspector Mikael Schönhof.
Sevo has been taken to northern Greece pending extradition to Sweden.
Sources: Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, Aftonbladet
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