- Title: SWEDEN: Spectacular robbery in Gothenburg causes chaos
- Date: 23rd January 2008
- Summary: GOTHENBURG MAIN STREET KUNGSPORTSAVENYN BJORN BERGLUND WALKING ON KUNGSPORTSAVENYN WITH FRIEND (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) BJORN BERGLUND SAYING: "We are living in a world that we don't know about, that is about to attack us perhaps. That is something that we may have to expect in the future. An unjust society is what is behind this I believe." MAN WAITING FOR APPROACHING TRAM ON KUNGSPORTSAVENYN (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) BJORN BERGLUND SAYING: "Of course you get a bit worried. That it is has to be like this is a bit worrying. I don't want a society like that. I want to be able to feel safe when I'm out walking, to feel secure." VARIOUS OF COUPLE WALKING ON KUNGSPORTSAVENYN (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) LASSE FRISK SAYING: "I think it is terrible quite simply. It has gone too far and I think that it has been a bit indulgent, the police has known about the gangs for a long time. They should have taken measures some time ago and then this would have never happened with the gangs. It has gone too far, they do almost as they like." MEN WAITING FOR TRAM (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) LASSE FRISK SAYING: "It is very sad because Gothenburg has turned more and more against violence and unrest. We read almost every day about violence and unrest in Gothenburg."
- Embargoed: 7th February 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Sweden
- Country: Sweden
- Reuters ID: LVAB2YMAOVCTSNP75YKDYRKTBSFQ
- Story Text: Large parts of Sweden's second biggest city were left in chaos as armed robbers raided its main post office, setting fire to cars, scattering spikes on roads and leaving dummy bombs to cover their escape.
Large parts of Gothenburg remained sealed off on Tuesday (January 22) following an armed robbery at the city's main post sorting office during the night. Police cordoned off a large area after several suspected bombs were found following the robbery.
"01.29 the post terminal was robbed at Kruthusgatan, a heavily armed robbery. An unknown number of people come in armed, in orange clothing and forcefully got a for us unknown booty. We know that they have taken something but right now we do not know what," police spokesperson Thomas Fuxborg told reporters Police said in a statement no post office staff were injured, but soon after the robbers fled the scene at least five suspected bombs were found around Gothenburg, three of them outside the main police station. All were later established to be dummies.
The robbers also set fire to several cars and spread spikes on the roads to puncture the tyres of would-be pursuers.
Fuxborg said there were not many people in Sweden who could have pulled off such a robbery.
"It requires a certain amount of logistics… Probably ten to twenty people have been involved in one way or the other. It requires a lot of planning and so on… There are just a few people who can pull this off so some kind of organised criminality is behind it," he said.
Police sealed off parts of the city and evacuated buildings near suspected bombs, causing chaos in morning traffic.
This was the latest of many violent incidents in Gothenburg recently.
"Of course you get a bit worried. That it is has to be like this is a bit worrying. I don't want a society like that. I want to be able to feel safe when I'm out walking, to feel secure," said Bjorn Berglund who was out walking with a friend.
Lasse Frisk said the police had been too indulgent of criminals in the city.
"They should have taken measures some time ago and then this would have never happened with the gangs. It has gone too far, they do almost as they like," he said. We read almost every day about violence and unrest in Gothenburg," he added. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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