The Swede, who goes by the name "El Sueco", was arrested on Friday in Cali in western Colombia, the daily newspaper El Tiempo reports.
He was wanted by Swedish authorities via an Interpol red notice for aggravated drug smuggling - and the arrest reportedly took place in a joint operation involving Colombian police, Europol and Swedish police.
Is in custody
The Swedish Customs Agency confirms that it has received assistance from authorities in Colombia in arresting a person. The person is being held in custody and is wanted and will be requested for extradition as soon as possible, says Martin Norell at the agency's press service.
The criminal suspicions in Sweden include, among other things, particularly serious drug smuggling. Norell does not otherwise want to comment on the ongoing preliminary investigation.
The Colombian authorities describe the Swede as a key figure in an extensive criminal network that smuggled drugs between different countries.
In cosmetics
His main task was to organize logistics and secure transport routes, according to El Tiempo. Cocaine was allegedly smuggled in cosmetic products that were sent by plane and boat to various international destinations.
According to the newspaper, the investigation shows that the Swede may have had contacts with the criminal networks Mocro Maffia and the Balkan Cartel, which play an important role in the European drug trade.
Colombian authorities see the arrest as an important success. According to Colombian police chief William Oswaldo Rincon Zambrano, it is a direct blow to the criminal networks that coordinate cocaine shipments to Europe and the United Arab Emirates. In a post on X, he states that the Swede is one of the most wanted criminals in Sweden.
