Kidnappers trigger Stockholm bomb scare
A Stockholm district was sealed off today after a bomb scare linked to an attempt to extort money from an employee of a currency exchange office.
The employee and his girlfriend, who were not identified, were kidnapped from their apartment in the Swedish capital last night by three men, police spokesman Bjoern Pihlblad said.
This morning, the kidnappers strapped what they claimed was a package of explosives to the employee’s back and ordered him to go to the currency exchange office, probably to get money as a ransom for his girlfriend, Pihlblad said.
The employee managed to remove the package after he entered the office, alerted authorities and left the package on the street in front of the office while waiting for police to arrive.
An area around Hoetorget square was evacuated, and a bomb squad removed the package shortly before midday.
It was not immediately clear whether it contained any explosives or whether the kidnappers had made off with any money. They had disappeared when police showed up.
The employee’s girlfriend was found by police unharmed in their apartment. “There are a lot of things that remain unclear about this,” Lindgren said.
