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Men cleared over Gothenburg airport heist

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
Men cleared over Gothenburg airport heist
Photo: SAS

Three of the men charged in connection with last year's major robbery at Landvetter Airport have been cleared by the Court of Appeal. All three had previously been sentenced by the District Court to seven years in prison.

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Three other men who received seven year jail terms had their sentences upheld by the appeals court.

The robbery took place on March 7th last year, when a four-wheel drive car containing a driver and three armed men forced its way through a security gate at the airport.

The men drove up to an SAS plane and threatened the flight crew with automatic weapons before gaining entry to the plane's hold.

They left the scene with 7.8 million kronor in foreign currency, none of which has yet been recovered.

After the robbery the men left a suspected bomb device by the plane, which led to the closure of Landvetter airport for nine hours.

A total of eight people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the raid.

One was cleared by the District Court, while another was sentenced to two months in jail.

The other six were each awarded seven year sentences for robbery and sabotage. All six denied the charges.

Anders Lindblad, a lawyer representing one of the men who has now been cleared, was extremely critical of his client's treatment.

"I view the District Court's verdict as a legal scandal. One has to have evidence in a case like this," he said.

"My client has been kept in custody for thirteen months and had to see a doctor for psychological problems when he was let go by the Court of Appeal," said Lindstrand.

The lawyer added that his client is likely to demand 500,000 kronor ($70,000) in compensation.

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