Jonas Falk remanded in custody for serious drug crimes

One of Sweden’s most notorious criminals, Jonas Falk, 52, has been re-arrested.

This time for four counts of particularly serious drug offenses involving over two and a half tons of cocaine.

On Wednesday, he was also sentenced to one year and ten months in prison for his involvement in the extortion racket against Joachim Kuylenstierna.

Bank robber Jonas Falk, 52, became nationally known in connection with Operation Playa. In 2010, Falk was identified as the ringleader in what is described as one of the largest drug busts in Swedish history, but was cleared of involvement four years later.

In 2021, he was convicted in Spain of financial crimes linked to drug money.

Arrested for serious drug crimes

On Wednesday, the story continued with Jonas Falk. He was sentenced to one year and ten months in prison for aiding and abetting in a case of attempted extortion.

Finance magnate Joachim Kuylenstierna and three of his colleagues were the plaintiffs in the case. The blackmail against them began as early as October 2023 and, according to the indictment, their families were systematically photographed and filmed.

Earlier on Wednesday, Falk was also arrested for four cases of particularly serious drug crimes in 2020 and 2021, which Dagens industri was first to report. In total, the crimes involve over two and a half tons of cocaine.

– Since the verdict against the 52-year-old was announced today, the possibility was also opened to request his detention and extradition from Spain for the particularly serious drug crimes of which he is suspected. The evidence consists, among other things, of communication in encrypted apps, says senior prosecutor Lars Lindman in a press release.

“All crimes are committed abroad”

The crime locations listed in the arrest warrant are Colombia, Costa Rica, Suriname, Portugal and “unknown waters.”

– All crimes were committed abroad, but I do not want to go into what discussions were held with other countries during the investigation, says Lars Lindman in a comment to Di.

Any prosecution would require approval from Falk’s new home country, Spain. Lindman says he expects to send a European arrest warrant to the country to gain expanded rights to prosecute.

– This seems to be a kind of tactical game. When things haven’t gone well enough in one case, they try to get a rebound in another, says Falk’s lawyer Tobias Enochson, to Dagens Industri.

The detention hearing is scheduled to take place on Friday.