Is The Helicopter Heist based on a true story? Swedish robbery explained

THE Helicopter Heist is simply a Swedish Netflix bid which is based connected a shocking real-life robbery. 

In 2009, a pack of thieves flew a chopper onto the extortion of a currency depot successful confederate Stockholm and made disconnected with the equivalent of £3.9million.

A meticulously-planned crime

The robbery took spot astatine 5am connected September 23, 2009. 

The thieves stole a Bell 206 chopper and piloted it to a G4S currency work gathering successful Västberga, Stockholm. 

Alexander Erikkson landed the chopper connected the depot’s roof, leaving Safa Kadhum and 3 others to interruption done the solid pyramid connected the extortion of the building. 

When the pack gained entree to the vault, they utilized tiny bombs to unfastened information doors inside. 

They packed the chopper afloat with sacks of currency earlier flying distant to safety. 

Attempts by the police to intervene were thwarted by the gang’s meticulous planning.

They had planted decoy bombs astatine a adjacent constabulary aerial base, forcing the authorities to crushed each of their helicopters. 

The police’s on-road vehicles were prevented from catching the pack too, due to the fact that caltrops, hidden connected the roadworthy by the robbers, slashed their tires. 

By 8:15am, the robbers had escaped and their abandoned chopper was discovered successful a tract extracurricular the Swedish capital. 

An planetary manhunt

After the robbery, Kadhum fled to the Dominican Republic but helium was arrested by section instrumentality enforcement astatine the Swedish government’s request. 

Unbeknownst to him, DNA traces had been recovered astatine the country which matched erstwhile records belonging to the authorities. 

Kadhum had robbed the Swedish National Gallery successful 2000 and was fixed a two-year-prison condemnation for stealing 2 Renoir paintings and 1 Rembrandt painting. 

Erikkson was arrested too, aft being caught successful the Canary Islands by a peculiar operations portion of the Swedish police. 

It was aboriginal revealed that the Swedish constabulary had been tipped disconnected astir the robbery astir a period earlier it took place, by the Serbian government. 

However, the authorities had been dilatory to enactment connected the information. 

All of the conspirators were sent to prison, but Kadhum was the lone 1 to plead guilty. 

He alleged that helium felt pressured to instrumentality portion successful the strategy by 1 of his creditors, to whom helium was successful debt. 

Despite the efforts of the police, nary of the wealth stolen by the thieves was recovered. 

The Helicopter Heist

The Helicopter Heist is simply a Netflix bid which dramatises the shocking robbery of the Västberga currency depot. 

Rising Swedish prima Erik Svedberg-Zelman plays the gang’s aviator Alexander Erikkson (who is named Axel connected the show) and Mahmut Suvakci plays Kudham (who is named Remi connected the show). 

The nail-biting bid is disposable to watercourse now.