"Elite thieves" is what screenwriter Ronnie Sandahl calls them. The helicopter heist, where 39 million kronor was stolen from a vault in Västberga in 2009, stands out as technically advanced. The loot of 39 million kronor was never found.
They worked as thieves. I think money was a relatively small driving force, I perceive it more as money being a measuring tool for whether you've won or lost, but the money itself has almost no value for this type of elite thief, they want to win, says Ronnie Sandahl.
The TV series is a Swedish Netflix production based on Jonas Bonnier's novel. He interviewed the thieves who had served their sentences. Espinosa and Sandahl have conducted their own interviews, and Sandahl thinks the TV series has its own temperament.
I also had the advantage that more time had passed, there were perhaps certain parts that they weren't comfortable talking about back then, he says.
Asked
What happened to the money, he didn't get to know.
No. I asked several times.
Doesn't the TV series open up old wounds?
They think differently. Some think this is fun, others just want to forget it, says Daniél Espinosa who wants to portray the people more than the crime itself.
He thinks the team has tried to enter a part of society that is not usually described.
All the good things I've done in my profession are about describing different aspects of the criminal world, says Espinosa whose depiction of Stockholm's underworld in "Snabba cash" gave him a Hollywood ticket.
I grew up among criminals and think it's interesting to talk about this side of society, because I think it says something about what society is.
Threatened
The series' sorrowful main character, Rami, has just been released from prison and is having his second child with the woman he loves. He works in the kitchen, borrows money from criminals and is threatened. In the end, he calls his accomplice and childhood friend Michel.
Those were the tools he had, says Mahmut Suvakci, who plays Rami.
Both he and Ardalan Esmaili (Michel) chose to meet the thieves they play. Even though their roles are based on interpretations, they wanted a kind of approval.
I think we can live in a better world if we don't judge others so easily. We're all in this together on this planet, our job is to try to dig a little deeper and try to give a more nuanced picture, says Ardalan Esmaili.
In September 2009, a vault in Västberga outside Stockholm was robbed. According to information from TT, 39 million kronor was stolen by the thieves who used a helicopter. They entered through the roof and blasted their way into the rooms where the money was kept. The loot has not been found, but seven people were convicted of the robbery or for aiding and abetting. The Court of Appeal increased two of the prison sentences.
In 2017, Jonas Bonnier's novel "The Helicopter Heist" was published. The Netflix TV series in eight episodes is based on the book. It premieres on November 22.
