A man in his 60s whose arrest in a residential area near Stockholm last year prompted shock has been charged with gross illegal intelligence activities against Sweden and gross illegal intelligence activities against a foreign power.
The man, who has lived in Sweden for 25 years after emigrating from Russia and has had Swedish citizenship since 2012, is suspected of having transferred advanced technology with potential military use to Russia.
According to the indictment, the suspect’s business activities were intended to provide Russia with sought-after sensitive technology to increase Russia’s military capability.
The man, who has always denied wrongdoing, is suspected of having transferred technology and equipment to Russia through his business activities and is also suspected of procuring technology from the US which he then passed on to Russia via Sweden.
Daniel Stenling, head of counterintelligence at Sweden’s security police, said: “It is about suspected serious crime, which could mean a serious security threat to Sweden and other states, where Swedish technology is used, among other things, in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Sweden must not be a platform for a foreign power to conduct illegal intelligence activities. The security police act forcefully against security threats that target Sweden’s security.”
In recent years, the threat against Sweden from illegal intelligence activities and foreign powers has intensified.
Stenling added: “The Russian intelligence services have a great interest in procuring Swedish hi-tech products. They also use Sweden as a transit country for the acquisition of high technology from other western countries.
“The security police work long-term and purposefully to reduce the ability of foreign powers, in this case Russia, to acquire technology and knowledge to develop and increase their military capabilities. The type of technology that Russia illegally acquires is ultimately a prerequisite for them to be able to wage war.”
The security police has conducted the preliminary investigation under the direction of prosecutors at the national security unit.
