The couple, who were arrested by Swedish authorities last week, are suspected of having been active in “illegal heightened intelligence activities” against Sweden since 2013.
Spectacular arrest of a Russian couple in the suburb of Nacka, east of Stockholm, on Tuesday November 22nd. Helicopters, police cars… Operation “Spjut” (spear, in Swedish) was organized by the Swedish authorities to get their hands on this man and woman, aged 59 and 58.
The case is worthy of a spy series. Sergei, an engineer specializing in energy economics, and his wife Elena came to Sweden in the late 1990s. Their integration serves as a role model: naturalized Swedes, they have a child there, also Swedish, who is currently studying in Stockholm.
In 2015, the Swedish tax authorities found irregularities in the books of their electronic components import-export company. They go back to basics and discover that the company was previously owned by a former leader of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
strange neighbors
Investigators then look at the couple’s profile and discover that they live in close proximity to other people of Sulfuric ancestry: an ex-Russian agent suspected of murdering double agent Sergei Skripal in London, and the former head of the sabotage and assassination unit of the same GRU. Enough evidence to decide, with the help of the FBI, to proceed with the couple’s arrest.
Swedish authorities suspect the husband of “aggravating illegal intelligence activity” against Sweden and another country (which is not named) and of having been active since 2013. explained our colleagues from Liberation. His wife, who was released on Thursday, is suspected of complicity.
“The case adds to fears that Sweden is the weak link identified by Moscow at a time when Stockholm is preparing to join NATO,” notes the Times.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted a joint bid to join the Atlantic Alliance in May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment. This, which requires unanimous approval by the 30 NATO member states, has been ratified by all but Turkey and Hungary.
other business
This is not the first time that an espionage case has cast doubt on Stockholm’s ability to deal with Russian espionage. The trial against two brothers for espionage was opened in Sweden this Friday. Peyman Kia, 42, and Payam Kia, 35, are accused of leaking information to Moscow for ten years.
The older of the two brothers managed to infiltrate one of Sweden’s top secret services, the BBC explains.
In October, Norway also announced the arrest of a Russian “sleeper agent” posing as a Brazilian researcher specializing in Arctic issues.