Current Affairs Swedish daily - Bin Laden's "man in Sweden" arrested at Prague airport
The Czech media are awash with claims by a Swedish newspaper that a leading Swedish terror suspect has been arrested in Prague. The tabloid Expressen reported on Tuesday that a 39-year-old Swedish citizen accused of terrorism by the United States has been detained by the Czech authorities.
According to Expressen the man is described by the CIA and the FBI as
"Osama bin Laden's man in Sweden". The paper says the U.S. has
been trying to obtain his extradition from Sweden for several years.
American investigators, claimed Expressen, believe he is responsible for
setting up al-Qaeda training camps in the U.S. state of Oregon in 1999,
and is also accused of having links with the group which carried out the
London bombings in July.
The man was reportedly arrested on a stopover in Prague, during a Czech Airlines flight from Stockholm to Beirut on Sunday. The Swedish foreign ministry, however, has only confirmed that a Swedish man is missing. A spokesman said the man's brother called the authorities when he failed to turn up in Beirut. The Swedish embassy in Prague, meanwhile, has confirmed that a 39-year-old Swedish citizen was arrested when he landed at Prague Airport.
The man was also accused of plotting terrorist attacks in Sweden several years ago, but was freed for lack of evidence. He was later sentenced to one year in prison on a weapons offence. The Czech police are due to release more details on the case soon.